If you have been injured in the workplace, filing a legal claim may be the last thing on your mind. Indeed, injured workers may have more pressing or even immediate concerns regarding their medical treatment and costs, as well as their financial stability during the period when they are unable to work.
Unfortunately, our workers’ compensation law firm has seen far too many instances where an injured worker needs to turn to an attorney for help. Having this consultation as soon as possible after the workplace accident can be a proactive approach to protecting your benefits.
The first step is to report an on-the-job injury to the employer, either directly or through a supervisor. That reporting can help an injured worker get emergency medical care, if it is needed. The reporting may also memorialize certain details about the accident.
An employee should not be worried about negligence at this stage, since workers’ compensation benefits are available regardless of which party may have been at fault. However, the factual context may be useful in determining the type of benefits to which a worker might be entitled, such as a firsthand accounting of how serious the injury really was.
Our law firm recommends an early consultation with an attorney. The claims process for seeking workers’ compensation benefits is complex. In addition, an employer may not always agree with the proposed medical treatments, perhaps believing them to be excessive. An attorney will fight to get an injured worker the maximum amount of benefits.
Source: ohio.gov, “First Report of an Injury, Occupational Disease or Death (FROI),” copyright 2016, Ohio Industrial Commission