Workers’ compensation insurance exists both to protect companies from liability and workers from poverty if they get injured or sickened on the job. Whether you throw out your back lifting boxes in a warehouse or cut off the tip of your finger using a meat slicer, you will likely tell your employer right away when you get hurt.
The company should then file a report about the incident with the state and then help you with the early stages of a workers’ compensation claim. Cooperation between the injured worker and the company is crucial, as it can lead to better workplace accommodations and fewer complications for the employee in need of benefits.
Unfortunately, some workers receive push-back from their employer when they need benefits instead of support. For example, their boss may refuse to file a claim and will justify that decision by alleging that the worker got hurt somewhere else. What happens then?
Workers may need to file their own claim
The simplest path to an approved workers’ compensation claim begins with employer cooperation. When the company files the necessary reports and cooperates with a worker who needs benefits, it will be simple for them to get the support they required for their medical conditions.
If your employer has taken the opposite approach, their opposition will make a compensation claim infinitely harder. Thankfully, the good news is that you can file your own claim if your employer does not take that step on your behalf. A disputed claim can take a lot longer to resolve and may require corroborating evidence.
How do you prove that you got hurt at work?
Establishing the origins of your injury may be difficult. If you got hurt in an incident involving multiple other people, there may be witnesses who can testify about what happened when you got hurt. There could also be security camera footage available to affirm your version of events. Otherwise, records from a medical evaluation right after you got hurt can help you show a connection between your symptoms and your employment.
Learning more about your rights and the basics of workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania can help you when filing a claim.