Are you disabled due to an injury on the job?

Am I eligible?

Being injured while at work can create a complex situation. If you were injured performing the duties of your job, you’re most likely eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. To receive these benefits, you must give your employer written notice of the accident or illness within 30 days of the incident. You may also be entitled to Social Security disability benefits.

What types of injuries are eligible for workers’ compensation?

Examples of common workplace conditions eligible for workers’ compensation benefits include:

• Construction site accidents
• Head or neck injuries
• Repetitive stress injuries
• Occupational diseases and work-related illness
• Eye and ear injuries
• Heavy lifting injuries
• Burn injuries
• Broken bones or fractures

Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that you automatically have a workers’ compensation case to pursue. If you were injured on the job, there are regulations in place that prevent you from suing your employer. Depending on what caused your injury, you may have the right to pursue a case against a third party, like a product manufacturer, a landowner, or someone other than your employer.

What is the process for a workers’ compensation claim?

If you are injured while at work, you should inform your employer of the injury and see a doctor. When you see a doctor or get medical attention, get documentation of the visit and the doctor’s diagnosis. Try to document as much as you can about the injury, including when, how, and why it happened. Once you have all of this information, complete the workers’ compensation board’s employee claim form. This can be found online or with your employer. Upon completion, submit your claim.

Once a compensation case is accepted by the insurance company or established by the compensation board, medical expenses related to the accident and your disability are covered. Doctors and chiropractors are not permitted to bill a compensated patient directly. Instead, they must send their bills and reports to the insurance company and the workers’ compensation board. If there is a dispute regarding a bill, it will be handled. As a disabled worker, you should never pay medical bills for treatment to a healthcare provider related to your workers’ compensation case.