Thankfully, workers’ compensation is in place to cover your medical expenses related to the injuries you sustained as well as partially provide your wages.

However, you need to take the right steps immediately following your work accident. Augusta workers’ comp attorneys often advise those who get hurt at work to take the following steps to prevent complications from arising.

What You Should Do After Getting Hurt at Work in Georgia

When you are injured while working your job, you have to follow a few steps to get your workers’ comp benefits. If you miss a deadline or fail to submit the right documentation with your paperwork, your claim could be delayed or denied altogether.

Get Immediate Medical Treatment

The first thing you need to do is get promptly treated by medical professionals right away. If you have a serious injury, you will need to go to the hospital. If not, your employer will provide you with a list of doctors who work with their workers’ compensation insurance. 

Report Your Injury

Even if you think you’re not seriously injured, you must report your injury to your supervisor as soon as possible. Let’s say you fell off a ladder but you’re trying to shake things off. You may not realize you have a more serious injury until days later. Reporting that injury right away can help you with your claim.

When you report your injury to your boss, make sure they file an accident report. You’ll want a copy of it for your records. At this point, you can also get a list of approved doctors to see for future treatment and care. 

Keep Records and Document Everything

Write down everything that you can remember about your workplace accident and your injuries. Keep notes on when you reported the incident down to the last detail. You’ll also want to organize your medical bills, prescription receipts, and insurance statements. If anyone saw your workplace accident, make sure you talk to them about what they saw and list their contact information. 

Talk with a Workers’ Comp Attorney

With workers’ compensation coverage, it eliminates the need to sue an employer for a workplace accident. However, an attorney experienced in workers’ compensation cases can review your paperwork and ensure it is filed on time. They can also help if your employer refuses to file your claim or the workers’ comp insurance unfairly denies your coverage. In some cases, you may be able to sue a third party for your injuries, such as if the safety equipment your employer provided you with was defective. 

Time Limits for Filing Your Workers’ Comp Claim in Georgia

After being injured on the job in Georgia, you need to tell your employer immediately. You have up to 30 days to do so, though the sooner you report it, the better. If you wait, the insurer may deny your claim because they may not believe you’re injured.

Workers’ compensation benefits can only be received if you can prove your injury is work-related. Waiting means they will try to pin it on something else happening to you within that time frame. To file with the state, you need to do so within one year of being injured or diagnosed with an occupational illness.

In a workers’ compensation case, you do not have to worry if you were at fault for your injuries or prove someone else caused them. The only thing you must prove is that you were hurt at work. By filing promptly, you can avoid turmoil and recover your benefits more quickly.

If you suffer an injury at work performing your job duties, your employer is forbidden from blocking your claim. Getting documentation of the report is essential, and it’s important to follow up to make sure your employer is doing what they are legally required to do. Should you discover otherwise, contact an attorney immediately to help you get the benefits you deserve.