Suffering an injury at work is terrifying. Many of us work for years without ever suffering a work-related injury. Navigating the worker’s compensation system is stressful and may feel very overwhelming. That is why hiring the right worker’s compensation attorney can help relieve some stress and help you the benefits you are entitled to under the workers compensation system.
The first thing to do after suffering an injury is see a doctor. This is the most important thing to do because receiving treatment for your injuries as quickly as possible is essential to your recovery. The doctor should treat you for your injuries and send the bill for treatment to the appropriate worker’s compensation insurance company. The doctor will also write a report that explains exactly what happened to you. The doctor’s report explains how the work-related injury occurred. In his report, the doctor will give an opinion that the work accident caused the injuries that you now suffer and that you are disabled from work. The doctor sends this report to the Worker’s Compensation Board, your attorney, and the worker’s compensation insurance company. The Board will rely on this report to get you the benefits you deserve.
Worker’s Compenstation Benefits
The second thing you must do tell your employer that you suffered an injury at work. You can file an injury report with your employer or tell a supervisor/manager. In order to get worker’s compensation benefits, the employer must have notice of the accident. The law says notice must be written, but in practice this is not usually necessary. You can provide your employer with notice of the injury by submitting an accident report or the medical report after you treat with your doctor. Simply telling your supervisor or manager about the injury may be sufficient, but it is best to have something in writing. A good worker’s compensation attorney can help you guarantee that your employer has sufficient notice of the injury so that you can receive all of the benefits you are entitled to after you suffer an injury at work.
The third thing you must do is file the appropriate paperwork with the Worker’s Compensation Board to index your claim officially. A good worker’s compensation attorney will provide you with this paperwork, assist you with filling it out, and make sure that it is submitted to the Board correctly. This is essential because the Board will direct the worker’s compensation insurance company to compensate you for lost time and to pay for medical treatment related to your injury. Some employers will assist in filing a claim with the Worker’s Compensation Board. However, to guarantee that you will receive the appropriate benefits, your worker’s compensation attorney will review the claim and make sure nothing else is needed.
Our goal at Gielowski, Federice, & Caligiuri is to make sure that you are receiving every benefit you are entitled to under the worker’s compensation law. We can take the stress off of you by assisting you with these steps and helping you navigate the New York worker compensation system.