If you’ve been injured at work or gotten sick because of working conditions, you shouldn't be responsible for the medical costs that come with treating your injury. Instead, you may qualify for workers’ compensation, which is a fund that’s been set up to specifically assist those who have been injured on the job. That being said, they have strict policies that must be adhered to when filing claims to receive compensatory benefits. This is where your North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyer comes in. At Rodzik Law Group, we’re experienced in filing workers’ comp claims and can help you with yours. Let us walk you through the process so you know what to expect.

Notify your employer of the injury or illness as soon as possible

When you’re injured on the job, you must report your injury right away. If you wait, it creates a more likely chance that your claim will be denied because you’re unable to prove that it was directly related to work.

There are times when you’re unable to report the claim right away. This could be a chronic illness or repetitive motion injury. In this case, it’s important to speak with a doctor for verification that it is indeed a result of work. Notify your employer that you’re concerned about the illness or injury and that you’re planning on seeing a doctor.

See a doctor

Visit a doctor as soon as you can to get an official diagnosis of the injury. Your employer might have a preferred physician for you to see. Go see the preferred provider as it’s likely that they’re trained in workers’ compensation claims and will know how to proceed with the process. You will need to see the provider to whom your employer has referred you to at some point.

Describe your injury or illness to the doctor

Be thorough when describing your illness or injury to the doctor. The more information your doctor has about the injury the better documentation they can provide when workers’ comp comes looking for it. This also means that you need to specify that the injury happened at work. Someone from the clinic is going to ask you for your employer’s name and other information so they can submit the claim to workers’ comp and you’re not stuck with the bill.

Submit a short report about the injury to your employer

Your employer will require that you send a written statement within 30 days regarding the accident that caused your injury or what all was related to the illness. This is an important step in ensuring that all your bases are covered and that your employer has a proper report regarding your injury. Date it and keep a copy of the report so you have evidence that you filed the report within 30 days.

Follow the doctor’s treatment plan

You must follow all the doctor’s orders when going through the recovery process. Workers’ compensation is specifically designated to help injured workers get back to the state they were in before the work-related injury. If you’re not obeying treatment orders or making it to appointments, you could be at risk of losing benefits.

Call now for help

If you’re working on filing a workers’ comp claim, you can get help with the process by getting in touch with our team at Rodzik Law Group. We’re experienced North Carolina workers’ compensation lawyers and can help you with every step along the way. We’ll also fight on your behalf should there be any snags along the way. This includes both short- and long-term claims. Get in touch with our team today by calling 910-762-1199 for a free consultation. We’re on your side.