Reporting Your Work-Related Injury To Your Employer

After suffering a work injury, you may be eligible to recover workers’ compensation benefits. However, you need to take certain steps to increase your chances of recovering the benefits you deserve. The first thing you should do to increase your chances of recovering the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve is to report your injury to your boss. Vermont has its requirements for providing proper notice of a work-related injury, and it is crucial that you follow the right process. If you do not, you may not recover the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve.  

When To Notify Your Employer About Your Work Injury 

In Vermont, after you suffer an injury while on the job, you must notify your employer about the injury immediately. If your injury occurs over time, you should notify your employer as soon as you find out about the injury. 

After notifying your employer about your injury, your employer must file a report with the Vermont Department of Labor, WC Division, within 72 hours and give you a copy of the report. If your employer doesn’t file a report, you can call the WC Division and file a report yourself.  

How Should You Notify Your Employer About Your Work Injury? 

You can give oral or written notice of your work injury. However, it is advisable to give a written notice. If you give written notice and a question arises later on as to whether you informed your employer about your injury on time, you will have records showing that you did. On the other hand, with an oral notice, you do not have any proof that you made your report on time.  

When reporting your work injury to your employer, the following are some things to ensure you include in your report; 

• Your full name and contact information 
• Date and time of accident/injury 
• Where your accident occurred 
• How the accident occurred 

• The symptoms you are experiencing 

Avoid Making Mistakes on Your Accident Report 

Insurance companies use accident reports or written notices to fight claims. For example, your employer’s insurance company may compare the details in your accident report to your physician’s treatment records. If any information in your report does not match the information on your doctor’s treatment records, the insurance company may deny your workers’ compensation claim.  

When completing an accident report or written notice, it is vital that you avoid guessing details about your accident or describing symptoms that never occurred. Your notice or report must be correct and honest. However, you do not have to include each possible detail of your injury or accident in your notice.  

Ensure you include even minor symptoms in your accident report or written notice. An injury might appear minor, only for it to worsen over time. If you mention your symptoms after some time has passed since you suffered your injury, your employer’s insurer might question your credibility and deny you workers’ compensation benefits.   

Contact a Vermont Workers’ Compensation Attorney 

If you’ve suffered a work-related injury and need help pursuing the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve, contact our skilled and dedicated Vermont workers’ compensation attorney at Sluka Law PLC today.  

 Source:

labor.vermont.gov/workers%E2%80%99-compensation/injured-workers/claims-filing#:~:text=When%20you%E2%80%99re%20injured%20at%20work%2C%20you%20must%20notify%20your%20employer%20IMMEDIATELY