If you have been injured while at work, then you may have a claim to workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are to cover the cost of medical care that you need as well as losing your income if you are unable to work while you recover. Injured workers may have some initial confusion on what is involved in reporting a work-related injury in Dunwoody.
In order to access these benefits, you need to report the work-related injury to your employer. Your employer will then contact their insurance carrier who will decide whether workers’ comp will be denied or awarded. In most cases, an investigation will be conducted in order to make this decision.
However, your employer and their insurance provider will do all they can to avoid paying workers’ compensation. To protect yourself against having your claim denied from the start, you should call a lawyer before or as soon as possible after being injured at work.
For more information regarding reporting a work-related injury in Dunwoody or workers’ compensation benefits, give our Dunwoody workers compensation lawyers a call today at 470-518-5026
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How Long Do I Have To Report A Work-Related Injury In Dunwoody Georgia?
The state of Georgia allows 30 days from the date of the injury to report the injury to their employee. This may seem like enough time but it can be easy to miss this deadline or forget important details regarding the incident that caused the injury. It is in your best interests to report the injury immediately or as soon as possible.
If you receive medical care before reporting your injury, this may not be covered by workers’ compensation. If you miss the deadline entirely, then your employer is no longer required to pay either medical or income benefits to you.
To ensure that you don’t miss the deadline, contact Workers Compensation Lawyer Coalition to assist you with reporting your injury.
To Whom Must I Report My Workplace Injury?
You are required to report the injury to the designated person/s at your place of work or to a supervisor or manager. If the company or organization has an HR (Human Resources) department, then you should also report the injury to them.
Your employer may require that you complete an incident report form or that you make a written statement. This will provide details of the incident that caused the injury, time and date of the injury as well as details of your injury. Before completing an incident report or making a statement, contact a lawyer to ensure that you don’t report or say anything that could result in your benefits being denied.
Call Workers Compensation Lawyer Coalition immediately if you are being pressured or forced to provide a written statement or complete an incident report.
What Are The Employers’ Responsibilities After A Workplace Injury?
Your employer has the responsibility to provide you with immediate or urgent medical care when you have been injured workplace. This may be in the form of first aid for minor injuries or calling an ambulance to take you to the hospital if you have been seriously injured.
They are also required to provide ongoing medical care and treatment. However, care must be provided by a doctor that has been authorized by the employer’s insurance carrier. Your employer must provide you with a list of authorized doctors called a panel of physicians to choose from.
Your employer must inform their insurance carrier within 7 days of reporting your injury. The insurance carrier may conduct an investigation into the incident that caused your injury as well as the extent of the injury. This is to decide whether your injury meets the requirements to be covered by workers compensation and if they will deny or award benefits.
Your employer is obligated to offer you “light duties” while your are recovering from your injury but still able to complete some tasks. Light duties may include reduced hours and/or decreased activity and avoiding tasks that may aggravate your injury. Your doctor must clear your to perform light duties and your employer must still pay workers’ compensation benefits if you return to work on light duties.
However, your employer may use light duties as a way to get your to return to work earlier than you should in order to reduce the benefits payable to you. If you feel that you are being pressured to return to work, call our Dunwoody GA attorneys immediately to find out what your options are.
What Are The Employees’ Responsibilities After A Workplace Injury?
The most important responsibility that you have after being injured at work is to report the injury to the relevant person in order to claim workers’ compensation benefits.
You are also responsible for choosing your own doctor from the panel of physicians provided by your employer. If you do not agree with the diagnosis or treatment from that doctor, you can choose a second doctor from the list to offer a second opinion or submit to an independent medical exam.
You are required to go to all your medical appointments and follow your doctors’ care and treatment instructions. If you fail to do this, it can appear as if you are attempting to delay your recovery and you will forfeit your benefits.
You are obligated to return to work as soon as you have recovered from your injury and your doctor has cleared you to do so. However, if you feel that you are being pressured to return to work before you are fully recovered, call us as soon as possible.
The state of Georgia requires that an employee report a work-related to their employee within 30 days. However, we recommend that you report an injury as soon as possible after it occurred – preferably immediately after you have contacted us.
Questions About Reporting a Work-Related Injury in Dunwoody? Call Us for a Free Consultation!
Reporting your injury quickly can also be of benefit should your workers’ compensation claim be denied. If you need to appeal the decision at a later date, there are more deadlines that need to be met. The longer you leave the injury unreported, the more difficult it will be to meet these deadlines and get your benefits awarded.
Call Workers Compensation Lawyer Coalition at 470-518-5026 today if you need to report a workplace injury or if your claim for workers’ compensation has been denied.
