We all go to work every day, banking on the fact that we’ll be safe within our workspace. But what if an accident happens on the job? What if that accident injures you in some way? What should you do if you are injured on the job?
There are a few preliminary steps you’ll want to take when an accident happens on the jobsite. First, check to see if you or any of your co-workers are in fact injured. If you are, make sure you alert your supervisor immediately. He or she will have information on further steps to take. If injured so badly on the job that you will have to miss days of work due to those injuries, you’ll probably want to apply for, if you live in Pennsylvania, for example, Pennsylvania worker’s compensation. Each state administers its own programs. This requires further steps on your part to apply and be approved by your state’s worker’s compensation fund.
You’ll first need to be examined by an employer-authorized doctor. This is because if you are approved for worker’s compensation, your employer will need to pay for all related medical costs through their own insurance, and must use a doctor that is approved through that insurance. Once examined, the medical professional will report back to your place of work with your condition and his or her recommendations. If approved, you are entitled to around 70% of your gross weekly pay at the time of your injury through Temporary Disability Benefits. You may not apply for Unemployment Benefits while receiving Temporary Disability Benefits through the worker’s compensation fund at your work. Once your injury heals, you can return to work and your Temporary Disability Benefits will end, and you can go back to working at full capacity and at full pay.
After you return to work, if you still feel that you are entitled to a monetary settlement further than what you were offered through Temporary Disability Benefits, you are eligible to submit a claim as a third party action. If this third party action claim is accepted, you are eligible to receive extra monetary compensation, such as for your pain and suffering, as well as other financial distress you may have suffered as a result from your work-related injury.
Above all, remember to be safe at work and obey all posted signs and instructions about your safety. No one wants to be injured on the job, but if you are, rest assured that there is hope through the local worker’s compensation fund that you will recover, both bodily and financially.
Einbinder & Dunn is a law firm that focuses on Business law, including Pennsylvania workers compensation Art Gib is a freelance writer.