If you work in a bank, insurance firm, or other conventional office jobs, chances are, major workplace injuries might sound strange to you. That’s because the hazard around computers, tables, and chairs are significantly lesser than manufacturing plants or oil rigs. Still, workplace injuries are more common than you think. San Francisco workers’ comp lawyers can tell you how many work-related injury cases they handle yearly.
Work injuries sometimes cause impairment to an employee’s capabilities, which could make a worker less productive. Even worse, it could cause permanent disability or even death.
The good news is, whether an employer is negligent or not, or the employee was careless, the labor law in California mandates that an injured employee receives compensation benefits as long as the injury was sustained at work or during work. That said, if you are involved in an injury at work, here’s what you do if you are a resident of San Francisco.
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Tell Your Supervisor You Were Injured at Work Immediately:
One of the first steps you should take after a workplace injury is to notify your manager. Depending on the policy of your company, some companies may require that you check in an available on-site clinic to formally document your injury even if you may have to go to an external Hospital. Whatever the case may be, the aim is to alert the management of your company about your injury.
A verbal report may be sufficient in some places, however, a well-documented report of your injury may be better. If you will be entitled to compensation, this step is crucial as California state law says you have 30 days to report any work-related injury if you don’t want your employer to throw out your claim.
Note that the 30-day limits start to count the moment you are aware of your injury. So, it is possible that your injury developed long after the symptoms started to show. In this scenario, you become aware of when the symptoms first appear.
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Seek Medical Care:
Many companies, especially manufacturing plants, sometimes have an on-site medical clinic or arrangement for treating workers who sustain a minor injury. In other cases, you may have to go beyond the walls of your company to gain access to proper medical care. Whichever way, allow a doctor to examine you and treat you for any physical or mental damage.
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Let the Physician Know It’s a Work-Related Injury:
If you are accessing medical care outside your company’s premises, you’ll do well to let the doctor know your injury is work-related. Not just because your employer should take care of your medical bill, but also because you may need extensive examination, which may be used to establish the extent of your medical condition and the number of compensation benefits you’ll get.
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Get a Second Opinion About Your Work Injuries:
You may not know if you qualify for comp benefit, so don’t assume your injury is a minor one. You’ll be denying yourself what’s rightfully yours if you don’t seek opinion. You can approach a compensation lawyer, who is very experienced in this case.
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File Your Worker’s Compensation Form:
Notifying your employer of a work-related injury doesn’t automatically mean your benefit is being processed. Some injuries are minor and probably don’t attract compensation benefits. A normal scenario is that your manager will give you the worker’s compensation after you report an injury. If that doesn’t happen, you’ll do well to request it.
You want to make sure the claim form is properly signed and dated. One other thing you may need to do after filling out the compensation form is to have a copy. It might come in handy.
California law mandates employees to have worker’s compensation insurance, however, it’s not unheard of that an employer will not have it or cover some staff. Some companies are not legally mandated to have workers’ compensation insurance. See below
- Agriculture
- Domestic operation
- Independent contractors
Apart from the above industry, your employer is mandated by California law to have worker’s compensation insurance coverage in place. If you ever find yourself in such a scenario where the employer doesn’t have this insurance coverage and is not one of the industries above, contact your attorney immediately.
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Bring in a Workers’ Comp Attorney:
You don’t have to wait for your claim to get thrown out before putting a legal team into the picture. Whether your company agrees to pay your worker’s compensation or not, an attorney will ensure you are not being cheated by the insurance company or employer.
Let’s Assist You With Your Claim
You may be entitled to a worker’s compensation benefit if you are involved in a work-related injury. Once you have notified your company, fill the compensation form quickly. At this point, you need legal support to ensure you come out with the most favorable outcome. You can contact our San Francisco injury lawyers, who can provide you with the help and assistance you need.