If you’re working and get injured, it’s important that you talk to your employer about workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation covers all kinds of work-related injuries such as cuts requiring medical care, head injuries, breathing issues related to the job and others. Whether you’re involved in a serious workplace accident or an illness you have is exacerbated by your job, you may be able to seek and obtain benefits through workers’ compensation, so that you can focus on taking care of yourself and worry less about returning to your job.
Workers’ compensation has several significant benefits that you should know about. These benefits may help you live more comfortably when you can’t work, cover your medical expenses and even find a new job.
What are the basic workers’ compensation benefits available to injured workers?
The workers’ compensation benefits that are available to injured workers include compensation for:
- Lost wages
- Scarring
- Disfigurement
- Medical expenses
Workers may also receive benefits such as vocational rehabilitation, which will help them train for a new job if they cannot return to work due to their injury.
What should you do if you’re injured or would like to be seen for a deteriorating condition that is related to your job?
The first step is to tell your employer that you have an injury and would like to seek out medical treatment. If there is a health care service on the work site, then you may be asked to check in with them. If you are seriously hurt, call 911 and wait for emergency help to arrive.
There may be a designated place for you to seek injuries that are not emergencies, but in an emergency, you have the right to go to a hospital or emergency room.
After reporting the injury to your employer, make sure you tell the medical staff that this is an injury related to your employment. They will help put together the right documents to bill workers’ compensation, and you can give those to your employer.
If you have any trouble with this process, it’s important to learn more about workers’ compensation and to make sure you understand your legal rights following an injury.
