In order to increase the likelihood your Workers’ Compensation claim is accepted, there are two items of utmost importance. The first is prompt, written notification to your employer of the injury. All too often injured workers do not report an injury immediately thinking the matter may just get better on its own. When it doesn’t, they then try to report the matter days or weeks later. This type of late reporting is often used against the injured worker either by the employer or the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation in an attempt to defeat the claim. Injuries should be reported the same day in writing and you should make a copy of the report for your records. If your employer does not have an incident report form, hand write what occurred on a piece of paper and sign and date it. This will eliminate any confusion later.
Equally important is to pursue medical treatment in a timely fashion. As with prompt reporting, if there is a delay in treatment and the injury progressively gets worse later, an employer or the Bureau may later question if the injury really happened while working. Even if the incident is not severe enough to warrant an emergency room visit, an appointment with a medical professional within a day or two of the injury should occur. This can be a primary care physician, a chiropractor or an urgent care. When seeing the medical professional, clearly and accurately explain when and how the injury occurred in order to insure consistency in the records.
The Ohio Workers’ Compensation system can be difficult to successfully navigate. If you have been injured at work and would like assistance, please contact the law firm of Green Haines Sgambati for a free consultation.