If you are injured at work, you should report it immediately to your employer (or, as soon as you notice symptoms in the case of a work-related illness). Delaying reporting an injury or illness can negatively impact you and your claim.
Here is why you should report earlier:
1. Get medical help
When you report a work injury earlier, you can get medical help before matters worsen. An injury or a symptom may appear harmless, but if left untreated, it can worsen. Prompt treatment can mitigate your injuries and prevent you from being out of work even longer.
2. Allow documentation
Your injury must be work-related to be compensated. If you are involved in an accident but report the incident days later, your employer or their insurer may argue factors outside work actually led to the injury. If you report immediately, your employer can visit the scene and investigate it. If you contract a disease at work, reporting sooner allows your employer to investigate the factors that may have caused it. In both cases, you’re protecting your interests.
3. Meet deadlines
Companies typically have a period within which an employee should report a work injury. Reporting earlier ensures you meet this deadline. Your employer also has state deadlines to observe to forward your claim to their insurer. Going past any legal deadlines could leave you unable to make a claim for the benefits you need.
Reporting a work injury immediately offers numerous benefits. If your employer or their insurer makes your experience difficult, get legal help to protect your rights.