Suffering a work injury can be a traumatic experience. You may be worried about your medical bills, lost wages, and also about whether you will be able to work any longer with your injuries. The good thing is that if your employer has worker’s comp insurance, then the policy will cover your significant damages, such as medical bills and lost wages.
However, you must make the right decisions to make sure the workers’ comp claim is a success. One wrong step and you could lose all of your rights. The best way to avoid mistakes is to hire a professional for the job. Click to Find a lawyer here.
Ways you can ruin your work injury claim
- Not being truthful about the activities you do out of work.
The insurance company will interview you when you file a workers’ compensation claim. One of the most common questions they ask is about the type of activities you engage in outside your work. If you have a second job and you deny having one, worried that they will reject your claim, it can make you lose credibility.
You could have a much bigger problem if the truth comes out later. No matter whether you have a second job or have hurt yourself doing something outside of your employment, you should be truthful.
- Reporting injury when it is too late.
One of the most common mistakes injured employees make after getting hurt at their workplace is delaying reporting. Reporting late does not only make you look like an irresponsible employee who does not care about their health but there is also the risk of the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Do not think that reporting your injury will get you fired or that you might feel better in the morning. Regardless of how small the injury may seem to you, it is important that you let your employer know there has been an accident.
- Hiding pre-existing or past injuries.
When you file a workers’ comp claim, you might want to hide your pre-existing injuries for fear that the insurance company might reject your claim. However, the law recognizes the fact that new accidents can aggravate existing injuries. Therefore, an attorney can gather evidence and build a strong case to prove that your existing injuries have been aggravated because of the workplace accident.
Hiding injuries is an unsmart decision. If the truth comes out, which it probably will when a qualified doctor examines you, you will be in much bigger trouble.
