No matter what sort of work you do, you could be susceptible to getting injured at work. Of course, if you work in a manufacturing plant or other manual labor field, you face numerous risks every day. But even desk jobs can be susceptible to carpal tunnel, back problems, eye strain, etc.
If you get injured at work, the actions you take next could determine if you can get compensation or not. Read on to learn what you should do after being injured at work to improve your chances of a successful claim.
If you are injured at work, the very first thing you need to do is to notify your employer of the injury. This is important even if you think the wound is minor or doesn’t need medical attention. Let your immediate supervisor know the incident happened, and make sure they note the date and time you reported it.
Often, worker’s comp cases require you to let your employer know about the injury as soon as it happens. Even though it may feel like you just tweaked your back or knee, that could become a severe problem. If you don’t let your employer know about the original wound as soon as it occurred, they could deny you coverage later.
Once it’s apparent that your injury will require some additional attention, you need to start the paperwork process with your employer. Depending on where you live and work, you may need to begin this paperwork as soon as you report the original incident. It’s a good idea to review your employee handbook, so you know what to do if you are injured or what your employer’s specific policies require.
If you plan to make a worker’s comp claim, you should let your employers know immediately. There are time limits set on these filing deadlines, and missing them could permanently revoke your rights to any compensation. This is designed to prevent employees from waiting years to seek compensation. However, a skilled attorney may be able to get passed a late filing.
Once you’ve filed any necessary paperwork for your report and claim, you should obtain medical attention. Again, how quickly you do this will depend on your specific situation and your company policy. If you’ve had a traumatic injury, that will need to get handled right away.
Assuming your wound is less immediately threatening, you’ll need to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can. Keep in mind that, even if you’re pretty sure you know what’s going on, you cannot diagnose yourself. You’ll need a documented doctor’s visit and official diagnosis for your worker’s comp claim.
After your appointment and diagnosis, your doctor will likely give you a treatment plan to follow. Depending on the nature of your injury, this may include everything from surgery or another corrective procedure to physical therapy or a medication regimen from pharmacy . You must follow your treatment plan to the letter no matter what.
For one thing, following your doctor’s orders will give you the best possible outcome. But this may also be a vital part of defending your compensation case down the road. If you feel like your treatment plan isn’t managing your injury well, you can always get a second opinion.
Throughout the workplace injury, diagnostic, and treatment process, it’s imperative that you document everything. If your right to compensation comes into question, you need to be able to show that you followed the appropriate procedure to the letter. You don’t want your case to come down to a matter of “he said/she said.”
Ask for copies of all your paperwork, and ask the relevant authority to sign and date it each time. Get your manager’s signature on your initial report and the claim paperwork. Get a copy of your doctor’s written diagnosis, signed and dated, and document every step of your treatment plan as much as possible.
In an ideal world, all worker’s compensation cases would be handled fairly, and you’d get the money you’re entitled to. Unfortunately, few companies are excited about paying those fees, and they’ll try to worm their way out of paying them. If this happens to you, you need someone on your side who has the expertise to defend your case.
If your company is trying to deny your claim, contact a workers’ compensation lawyer for help. They’ll have the expertise you need to navigate the confusing world of compensation claims. They can also fight for you in court to ensure you get the total compensation amount you’re entitled to.
Getting injured at work can seriously impact your personal and professional life, and your injury may entitle you to worker’s compensation. If you do get injured at work, notify your employer right away, and make sure to file all the appropriate paperwork. Get a diagnosis, follow your treatment plan to the letter, and contact a worker’s compensation attorney to help you manage your case.
If you’d like to get the help you need after a workplace injury, check out the rest of our site at Michael Burgis and Associates. We’re the firm to write your story and recover your peace. Please schedule a consultation with us today and start getting the recovery for the injured you deserve. Sometimes, it can seem like there’s no end to the obstacles when you’re going through a divorce. For quite a few divorcing couples, fights are frequent, and there’s an ever-revolving door of new problems daily.
One common issue in our practice is speculation that our client’s spouse may be hiding assets.
During any divorce, both you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse will be required to disclose all of your assets. As you reveal your assets, you will separate what you believe to be community property (for example, a house or car that you own jointly) and personal property (whatever is yours alone). This is so that you can help facilitate an agreement concerning your collective assets. You may also need to disclose this information as you prepare to go to trial.
Unfortunately, some parties will try to avoid following the rules and may purposely not disclose some of their own assets. The goal here is usually to avoid having their personal assets divided up.
If our firm represents you, and we agree that your ex-spouse is lying in this way, things can get complicated. That’s because it’s up to us to prove to the court that your ex-spouse is hiding assets and finding out where those assets are.
Fortunately, there are a lot of resources we can use as attorneys. We have forensic accounting, for example. Or, we can hire a private investigator.
We’re simply following the “breadcrumbs” at the end of the day. Here’s an example:
Let’s say you had a joint account with your soon-to-be-ex, and there was, at one time, $100,000 in it. Then, all of a sudden, it dropped down to $20,000. Naturally, we want to see where that money went. And there’s almost always some breadcrumb for our experts to grab onto. Most of the time, we find the money or other assets.
Still, if we cannot determine where the assets have gone (but we can still prove that assets are being hidden), there are other ways to make your divorce more favorable for you.
For example, we might be able to utilize sanctions or a monetary fine. Or, we could try for an inequitable division of assets. This would mean that instead of a 50/50 division of your community assets, you might take the bulk of it.
Divorce is not easy — especially when you have a soon-to-be ex-spouse lying or trying to cheat the system. At Mohajer Law Firm, APC, we have been helping individuals getting divorced in the Greater Los Angeles County area since 2012.
If you are getting divorced and need representation or have questions about your case, please contact us today. We’re here to help.
