Before we conclude our short series of blog entries on health care workers, let’s briefly discuss how a workers’ compensation professional can help injured employees with the benefits to which they are entitled. After all, our Syracuse readers by now understand the risks to which these employees are exposed. What steps should they consider after an accident occurs?
Typically, any injured worker should prioritize three actions above any others. The first is to notify the employer of what has happened. Depending on the circumstances, the clinic or hospital may need to take steps to ensure no one else gets injured in the same way. If notification is not provided appropriately, your workers’ compensation claim could run into trouble on this basis.
The second step is to seek medical attention. Sometimes injured workers will delay treatment out of fear of retaliation, for example, or out of a misinformed notion that they need to await some kind of approval or sign-off from the employer, an insurance company or any other party. The fact is that the longer you wait, the worse your injury could get, and the more room you employer will have to argue that because you didn’t seek treatment right away, your workers’ compensation benefits should be reduced (or even denied).
The third step — which in fact you may even want to take before speaking with a medical provider — is contacting a New York workers’ compensation professional. The information in this post is general in nature only, but good, specific legal advice can provide a strong foundation for your interaction with the doctor treating your injury as well as your claim for compensation. But later, if need be, is still better than never.