What Should I Do If I Have Been Hurt on the Job in Illinois?

 Posted on September 06, 2019 in Workers' Compensation

Nobody goes into work expecting to get hurt, yet that was the reality for nearly 3 million American workers in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accidents are called accidents for a reason--you never know when they are going to happen. Fortunately, there are protections in place to help you in the unfortunate event you suffer an injury while you are at work. In the state of Illinois, almost all employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ compensation can provide you with a variety of benefits and financial compensation in the event you are hurt and cannot work. If you are hurt on the job, your actions--especially those taken during the first 24 hours after the injury--can greatly impact the outcome of your case. Here are a few steps you should take if you are injured at your workplace:

1. Seek Medical Attention

If you are injured while you are at work, you should first seek emergency medical attention if necessary. Even if your injury is not life-threatening, you still have the right to see a doctor for your injury, though you should be careful about where you go. In some cases, your employer may have established a “preferred provider program” (PPP). In this scenario, you can choose between two physicians from the PPP. If there is no PPP, you have the choice of seeing any two providers you would like. 

2. Tell Your Employer About Your Injury

As soon as you are aware of your injury, you should inform your employer that you were hurt, how it happened, and what care you have begun. Not all injuries or symptoms are immediately apparent, but in most cases, you must tell your employer about your injury within 45 days of the date of the accident to be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

3. Inform Your Doctor That Your Injury Occurred at Work

When you seek medical attention, you should inform any and all of your medical providers that you were hurt while you were on the job. By doing this, your physicians can send bills directly to your employer, rather than to you. This helps to ensure that your medical benefits are processed with minimal interruptions. You should also make sure that all of your medical records state that your injury occurred at work.

4. Follow Up With Your Employer About an Incident Report

Once you have told your employer about your injury, they are then required to submit an incident report to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission if the injury resulted in the loss of at least three workdays. The report should include your personal information as well as details about your actions immediately prior to the injury. In addition, it needs to state what the injury is, how it occurred, and when you first sought medical attention for the injury. You should ask for a copy of the report and keep it for your records.

5. Choose a Will County Workers’ Compensation Attorney to Represent You

Most of the time, an injury sustained at work will be covered under your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. There are very few circumstances in which a workplace injury would not be included in that plan. If you were hurt on the job and you are having trouble receiving your workers’ compensation benefits, you need to contact a skilled Plainfield, IL workplace injury lawyer as soon as possible. At Flaherty Law, LLC, we can help you obtain the compensation that you deserve for lost wages and medical expenses. Call our office today at 815-577-7500 to schedule a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.bls.gov/iif/

http://classifieds.usatoday.com/blog/business/youre-injured-work/

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/iwcc/Documents/handbook.pdf