A workplace injury can turn your life upside down. If you are hurt while at work, you may be entitled to financial restitution to help take care of your treatment costs and other damages under the workers’ compensation claims.
However, to get the compensation you deserve, you must prove that your injury arose from your employment and occurred during the course of your work. Usually, this is not always an issue. However, it is not uncommon for the employer to dispute the cause of your injury or illness with the goal of avoiding financial responsibility.
Here are three ways to connect an injury or an illness to your occupation:
Employer’s incident report
To be eligible for workers’ compensation, you need to inform your employer of your work-related injury or illness as soon as possible. Besides ensuring that you meet important deadlines, this will also ensure that you do not create room for provoking questions regarding how you sustained your injury. While reporting the workplace accident, be sure to file an incident report and obtain a copy of the same.
Doctor’s report
One of the most important things you need to do immediately following a workplace accident is to seek medical attention. And there are two reasons why this is important. First, this will ensure that your injuries are fully diagnosed and treated so you can get back on your feet as soon as possible. Second, your injury and treatment will be documented in the doctor’s report. This is an important piece of evidence that you will use to strengthen your case should the matter end in litigation.
Eyewitness account
If the accident that resulted in your injury was witnessed by a co-worker or anyone else for that matter, you might want to call upon them to testify in your favor if need be. Alongside eyewitnesses, you may also produce CCTV footage of the accident that resulted in your injury to prove your case.
If you get hurt at work, it is important that you file a workers’ compensation claim so you can receive the compensation you deserve for your damages.