Perhaps boiling water spilled on your hand or you touched an outlet and were burned. Whatever the case, if you suffer from first-, second-, or third-degree burns while on the job, you may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation. However, if you don’t take the proper steps after you receive your injury, you may not get the help you need—and deserve.
When You Are Burned on the Job
Your first instinct after receiving the burn may be to utter a few choice words. Although comforting, doing so won’t get you much in the way of benefits for workers’ comp. Alternatively, here’s what you can do to increase your chances of getting the help you need:
- Tell your employer. If you don’t alert your boss about the injury right when it happens (or as soon as possible thereafter), you may not receive approval for workers’ compensation. If your employer isn’t at the site when you’re injured, call him or her as soon as you can.
- Tell the doctor you were hurt on the job. Tell the doctor who treats you that you are there because of an injury you suffered while at work. The doctor will then fill out the proper paperwork you need to get the process going.
- File an injury report. As soon as possible, ask your employer for a first report of injury form. Typically, you enter the date the injury occurred, as well as the time it happened and how.
- Visit a workers’ comp doctor. Depending on the severity of your burn, you may need to visit several types of doctors in order for your injury to get better, including dermatologists and plastic surgeons. Your employer will give you a list of approved doctors you can see. If you fail to see those specific doctors, you may not qualify for workers’ comp.
Have Questions? We Can Help
No two workers’ comp injury cases are ever the same, and that can sometimes make getting approved difficult. The attorneys of Johnson and Gilbert want to help you get the benefits you need in order to support your family. Contact us today to learn more.
| Related Links: |