Workers’ compensation insurance protects employees injured in the line of duty. This insurance offers several advantages to employees and those who depend on them. Nonetheless, obtaining these benefits is not as easy as it sounds.
Some employers make it hard for workers to get what they deserve. The following are three tactics they may use.
1. Not considering the injury to be work-related
When you are injured at work and report the case to your employer, they will ask questions to determine if a factor outside work contributed to the injury. They may take a harmless activity and claim it may have caused your injury. For this reason, it is advisable to report injuries as soon as they happen.
2. Misreporting the facts of the situation
When you report your injury to your employer, they will fill out the first report of injury. Thus, you need to be precise about what happened to lead to your injury. This includes the location you were in and the element that hurt you.
After the report is complete, you should ask for a copy because an employer may misreport your case. Go through it and ensure everything is as you explained.
3. Delaying the report of the claim
After reporting to your employer, they are supposed to forward the claim to the insurance company. However, some may delay doing this or not send it at all. Delays may make the insurer deny your claim. If they don’t send it, you certainly won’t be covered. An employer may claim you didn’t report the case to them. This is why it’s vital to have a copy of the first report of injury.
Employees should work in a safe workplace, and if an injury occurs while working, they should be covered accordingly. If your employer is avoiding compensating you, consider your options to protect your rights.