At your place of work, it’s imperative that proper precautions are taken to help avoid unnecessary injury. While many assume that these injuries can only happen at manual labor job sites, workplace accidents can occur anywhere. Ensuring you take the steps to receive workers’ compensation can help ease the financial burden of being unable to work while healing. You are entitled to coverage, so knowing how to obtain it is crucial. Keep reading to learn more about coverage and how a Marietta workers’ compensation lawyer can help.
What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?
When injured at work, you may notice that there are a variety of expenses that arise as a result. However, you should not be left to shoulder the burden of the astronomical cost of care. Luckily, workers’ compensation insurance will cover a variety of related expenses, including:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Funeral expenses
- Disability benefits
- On-going care cost
- Illnesses
Most states, including Georgia, require businesses to have insurance for injuries their employees sustained while at work. In Georgia, however, the minimum number of employees required to supply workers’ compensation is three.
How Do I File a Claim?
In order to file a claim, you’ll need to take the necessary steps. The most crucial aspect is to report the injury to your manager or supervisor as soon as possible. If you wait too long, you lose the right to file a claim. After you’re injured, you must see a doctor for treatment. Your employer should provide a list of six doctors you can choose from, but if you need emergency medical care and don’t have time to see a physician, the insurance will most likely cover the cost of seeing an emergency room doctor.
If you have the opportunity to fill out a claim before seeking treatment, you’ll want to submit a Form WC-14 to the state board, your employer, and their insurance company.
Finally, you’ll need to keep track of the hours of work you missed to ensure the records accurately reflect the time you could not work due to an injury sustained at your place of employment.
Do I Need an Attorney?
When you sustain an injury at work, you may think filing a claim is the only step you need to take to start receiving payments. However, this is incorrect, as some insurance companies will do everything in their power to deny compensation. You’ll want to ensure you reach out to an experienced attorney in order to get the justice you deserve.
An experienced attorney can represent you and prove the injuries you’ve sustained warrant compensation. Don’t wait until it’s too late to contact an attorney for assistance navigating your rights as an employee. At Miller Law Practice, we are dedicated to fighting for your rights to help achieve the best possible outcome for your circumstances.