Reporting construction accident injuries is one of the first steps you need to take if you wish to receive compensation. Here is what you should know.
Reporting Construction Accident Injuries | Immediate Notice
The law requires that there be immediate notice to the employer. If the employer does not know that you have been hurt on the job, there can be controversy later regarding whether you were in fact hurt on the job. The insurance company that represents that employer at the workers’ compensation board will then allege that the injury did not happen at work, attempting to discredit and lay the blame on the employee.
If you are injured at work, you need to report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. Sometimes injuries are obvious; for example, if you fall into some sort of an excavation site, you will likely have a witness to your injury. In the event that you are injured at work and someone else did not hear or see the incident, especially if the injury relates to your back or your shoulder, you need to notify a colleague and your employer if you trip and fall and tear up your knee or tear up your ankle. People are going to be there to assist you.
In many of the cases we have overseen, our clients have been unaware of their responsibility to let their employer know. Every employer should possess workers’ compensation board forms, which you must ask your doctor to complete. Most of the doctors in New York know exactly how to fill out workers’ compensation forms.
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Reporting Construction Accident Injuries | Do I Need a Lawyer?
A workers’ compensation lawyer is not necessary in certain situations. If you have lost a finger or shattered your back in an accident, you probably need a workers’ compensation lawyer. If you have a more serious injury, you will need a lawyer to make sure that your rights are protected. However, if you have sustained a simple, routine injury that will keep you out of work for a couple of weeks, the workers’ compensation wages will kick in automatically, and you will not require a lawyer. You will merely receive some workers’ compensation wages through your carrier and place of employment.
If you have been seriously injured in a construction accident, please contact our experienced Hamburg construction accident lawyers right away to schedule a free confidential case evaluation.