Accidents happen every day in the workplace, which is why each state has workers' compensation that provides benefits for employees who are injured on the job. As an injured worker in Pennsylvania, reporting your injury to your employer right away can protect your rights and ensure you receive these benefits. In this blog post, we'll discuss the reasons why it is crucial for you to report your injury immediately and provide a case study to illustrate the importance of this action.
In Pennsylvania, injured employees must notify their employers of their injury within 120 days of the incident to be eligible for workers' compensation benefits. Failing to report your injury can result in a denial of your claim, which means you won't receive any compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, or disability. You need to report your injury as soon as possible, regardless of how minor it may seem, to protect your rights and ensure that you have access to the benefits that you need to recover.
To illustrate the importance of reporting an injury promptly, let's look at a case study. John is a construction worker who sustains a back injury while lifting heavy equipment. The pain is severe, but he doesn't tell his supervisor about it because he's afraid of getting into trouble. Over the next week, the pain worsens, and John eventually takes time off from work to see a doctor. When he finally reports the injury to his supervisor, he is too late to qualify for workers' compensation benefits because he did not report the injury within the required 120 days.
If John reported his injury immediately, access to the workers' compensation benefits needed to cover his medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs associated with his injury would likely be granted. By waiting to report his injury, he lost out on this crucial financial support and had to pay for his treatment out of pocket, which put a strain on his finances and his recovery.
When you report your injury to your employer in a timely manner, you also protect yourself legally. In Pennsylvania, injured workers who fail to report their injury within the 120-day deadline may lose their legal right to receive workers' compensation benefits. Employers may also use this delay as evidence that the employee's injury was not work-related, which could result in a denial of their claim.
Reporting your injury to your employer immediately after an accident is crucial if you want to protect your legal rights and receive the workers' compensation benefits that you deserve. By failing to report your injury promptly, you risk losing access to these benefits, which can have devastating consequences for you and your family. If you are injured on the job, don't wait to report your injury - act right away to ensure that you receive the medical care and financial support that you need for your recovery. This should include consulting qualified legal counsel.
Mitch Dugan and his highly skilled and experienced workers’ compensation lawyers at Dugan & Associates will work vigorously to pursue fair and just compensation for loss of earnings, medical expenses, and damages. Consultations are free. If there is not a recovery of compensation, there is also no fee. Contact us today online or by telephone at 412-353-3572.
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