How to Report a Work Injury

December 20, 2018 / Worker Injury

If you’ve been injured in the workplace, you’ll be happy to know that most employers are required to have workers’ compensation insurance. Ideally, this means that the only thing between you and the compensation for your injury is a little bit of paperwork. This article will guide you through the process of how to report a work injury in Indiana.

Sometimes injuries just happen. But sometimes injuries happen because an employer or other responsible party has neglected to take required safety measures to protect employees. If you’ve been injured and think it may have resulted from negligence on the part of your employer, contact Stephenson Rife. We offer a free consultation and will be able to let you know if you may have a legal case.

How to Report a Work Injury

The first step in reporting your work injury is to give your employer notice that the injury has occurred. This notice must be given within 30 days, or your claim could be denied.

That being said, it’s better to report your injury as soon as possible. The sooner your claim is filed, the sooner you can receive benefits. In addition, insurance companies are more likely to approve a claim that’s filed immediately after an injury than one that’s filed after some time has passed.

In addition to your claim, injuries severe enough to cause you to miss more than one day of work require your employer to fill out an “Employer’s Report of Injury” within seven days. Your employer will have to send a copy of this report to the insurance company and to you. Once these documents are filed, the insurance company has 29 days to accept your claim or deny it.

What if Your Claim is Denied?

There is always a chance that a legitimate claim will get denied due to oversight. If your claim is denied, you have the right to appeal the insurance company’s decision. This involves filling out an “Application for Adjustment” form with the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board. This will involve a hearing before a workers’ compensation judge.

If this goes against you, you have one last opportunity to appeal to the Full Workers’ Compensation Board within 30 days of the judge’s decision. The vast majority of cases are decided long before this point, but the possibility is still there.

WHEN OTHERS BREACH THEIR DUTY, WE KEEP OURS.

State and federal agencies, including the Indiana Department of Labor and OSHA, have strict guidelines and regulations to keep workers safe while they are doing their jobs. In some cases, employers might ignore these regulations or fail to ensure they are properly followed. Where large commercial vehicles, machines, or equipment are involved, there can be questions of manufacturer’s defects, or there can be another third-party situation that requires legal remedy.

With over 30 years’ experience handling on-the-job injury claims in Indiana, Mike Stephenson and Brady Rife of Stephenson Rife are ready to put their resources to work for you. You might be eligible for certain types of compensation beyond workers’ comp to assist you with your financial hardship. To explore your options, call us today, or use our online contact form.