Was I Injured Badly Enough to File Worker’s Comp?
- Posted on: May 1 2019
If you’ve been injured on the job, but not hurt enough that you obviously qualify for worker’s compensation, you may wonder if you should bother filing. Where is the line between an injury that doesn’t qualify and one that does? It’s not always immediately clear, but there are some basic guidelines you can use to determine if you should apply.
Do You Have to Take Time Off Work?
Was your injury bad enough that you had to take off work to recover? If you left work early due to an injury, but were fine the next day, your injury may be too minor for worker’s comp. If you’ve had to take off for a week or more, you will likely have a case for worker’s comp. Remember that you should always report any injury that happens while you’re on the job, even if it seems minor at first. Some of these minor accidents may actually be much more severe that they appear to be.
Did You Require Emergency Medical Attention?
Did you have to call an ambulance or go to the ER for your injuries? If you did, your injuries are likely bad enough for worker’s comp. On the other hand, if your injuries were light enough that all you needed were a few bandages or other basic care, you likely don’t have a case.
Did You Have a Hospital Stay?
Injuries bad enough to require you to stay a night or more in the hospital will more than likely qualify for worker’s comp. Even if you’re only kept for observation, it may be enough to qualify. Anytime you have to go to the hospital, even if you don’t stay, it may mean your injury is bad enough to qualify for worker’s comp.
Is the Pain Recurring?
If you continue to have pain from an injury, even if the injury didn’t seem major enough at the time, you may have a worker’s comp claim. For example, if you have recurring pain in your wrist from carpal tunnel, you may be able to file a worker’s comp claim for that.
When you have any type of injury on the job, you need to make certain you go to a doctor who understands worker’s comp claims. Dr. Jeff Mollins is one such doctor. Contact his office today to discuss your worker’s comp claim.
Posted in: Blog, Uncategorized, Work Injuries, Workers Compensation
