You may be confused about exactly what you should do in the aftermath of a work injury, but one thing should be abundantly clear – you should report your injury to management as soon as possible. Reporting your work injury the same day as the accident is crucial for a number of different reasons, and it can end up making or breaking your claim or greatly affecting your total payout. Below, we explain five reasons why it’s important to report your work injury as soon as possible after the accident.
The Importance Of Early Injury Reporting
If you want to give yourself the best chance at the biggest payday for your injuries, you need to report your work injury as soon as possible after the work accident. Here’s why:
1. Creates A Timeline – Reporting the injury shortly after it occurs helps to establish a timeline that is crucial for helping you secure an award. This first report of injury helps showcase when exactly the injury occurred, which can help with the collection of video evidence or witness testimony. It also helps to showcase the fact that you were in the middle of performing work duties at the time of the accident.
2. Facts Are Easier To Recall – If we asked you what you had for dinner last night, you’d probably be able to tell us everything that was on your plate. If we asked you what you had for dinner two Tuesdays ago, it’s going to be a lot harder to remember the details of your dinner. The same logic applies to your injury case. The sooner your report the injury, the easier it will be to report true details about the accident. If you wait too long and your story changes or is inconsistent with other versions, it can tank your injury award.
3. Eliminates Some Injury Doubt – If you suffer a work injury on Friday but don’t report it until Monday, the insurance company may deny your claim and argue that you actually suffered the injury over the weekend and are trying to scam the system. If you wait days or weeks to report your injury, not only is it harder to prove that it occurred on the clock, but you allow the insurance company the very real possibility of denying your claim on the basis that the injuries could have occurred outside of a work setting. Eliminate this potential by reporting the injury the same day as the accident.
4. Helps Avoid Missed Deadlines – You only have a certain amount of time from the date of the injury to report it and claim workers’ compensation. This time period is typically measured from the day of the accident, not from the day you decide to report it. If you wait too long, you can end up missing out on rightful compensation simply because of a deadline issue. Don’t miss deadlines because you put off reporting your injury.
5. Nothing To Lose, Everything To Gain – When it comes to reporting work injuries, you often have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reporting the injury. Even if you end up being cleared by the doctor the next day, the fact that it is documented can only help if a medical issue develops down the road. And on the off chance that the injury is more serious than you imagined and you need to take some time off work, it will be much easier to collect wage loss benefits if you report the injury in a timely manner. Reporting the injury is a lot like an insurance policy. You may never need to reference it, but you’ll be glad it’s there if you need it. To cover your bases, make sure your employer is at least aware of the incident.
If you need help at any point during your injury case, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the experienced team of injury lawyers at Hey Workers today.
