You are dutifully delivering new supplies to one section of your manufacturing plant, when suddenly you slip and fall on the hard concrete. Your back instantly hurts and you have a really tough time getting off the ground. You wonder how this workplace injury will impact your ability to show up tomorrow, or the next day.
However, your first concern should be reporting your workplace injury. If you want to receive maximum workers’ compensation, you need to report your injury to your manager as soon as possible. You’ll also need to fill out a form for workers’ compensation. If in the coming days, if your neck tenses up and you realize that injury may have occurred during your fall, you also need to report that and file a workers’ comp claim.
Injuries from repetitive moment
Some injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or having a damaged disc in your back, may occur over time, because of repetitive movements you make as part of your job. As with other injuries, you need to let your manager know and file a workers’ comp claim when your injury first surfaces and impacts your ability to work.
Statute of limitations
In Nebraska, you do have two years from the time of the workplace injury to report it. Iowa has the same limitation. However, if you need medical treatment and need compensation to cover your injury treatment and cover time lost at work, reporting your injury sooner is better. It can take at least 30 days after filing a workers’ comp claim to receive your benefits.
Seeking medical care
You likely will need to seek treatment for your injury. You’ll need to know if your employer allows you to see your own doctor or if you need to see a doctor approved by your employer’s worker’s compensation coverage. You want to seek medical care as soon as possible and keep all your documentation so you can prove you are following your doctor’s treatment plan and working to recover from your injury.
If you run into any problems receiving your benefits, you should consult an attorney who has experience handling workers’ compensation claims. You want to ensure you handle your claim appeal correctly to better your chances of getting the compensation you need.