Tips for Reporting a Work Injury
After suffering a work-related injury in Vermont, you may be eligible to recover workers’ compensation benefits. However, before you can recover benefits, there are some steps you need to take. The first step is to report your injury. This article shares some tips for reporting a work injury to an employer.
Tip #1: Report Your Injury Immediately or as Soon as Possible
According to Vermont law, you must report your work injury IMMEDIATELY or as soon as possible. If your injury occurs over time and not in one incident, you are required to notify your employer about it as soon as you are aware of it. If you fail to report your work injury to your employer immediately or as soon as possible and later you file a workers’ compensation claim, you might be barred from recovering benefits.
Tip #2: Submit a Written Report
While you are allowed to make a verbal report of your injury, it is advisable that you submit a written report. If you give an oral notice and questions arise later as to whether you submitted a report of your injury, you will not have any records to show that you submitted the report.
Tip #3: Report All the Facts Clearly
How you report your injury is one of the most crucial things you need to get right. Deciding to give your employer a written notice is the first step to ensuring you report your injury in the right way. But a written report with missing facts will not do you much good. You must ensure that when you report your work injury to your employer, you clearly describe all the facts. Examples of details you need to provide in your report include;
- The date and time of your injury (for an injury that happened in one incident)
- The equipment or tool you were using at the time of your accident
- Where the accident happened
- How the accident happened
- The injury suffered
- The tasks you believe led to your injury (for a repetitive strain injury that occurred over time)
The more facts you provide, the better. The details you provide in your report can help your employer and the insurance company obtain the information they need to approve your workers’ compensation claim.
It is crucial that you avoid providing any information you are unsure of in your report. Only stick to the facts and don’t make guesses. If you provide inaccurate information and your employer or the insurance company finds out, they may use that to fight your workers’ compensation claim.
Tip #4: If Your Employer Is Unavailable, Report to Management
You may find that your employer is not around when you need to report to them your work injury. In such a case, you should report your injury to a senior, such as your supervisor. Do not postpone reporting your injury.
Note: You should avoid telling your co-workers about your injury and failing to tell a senior about it.
Contact a Vermont Workers’ Compensation Attorney
If you have suffered a work-related injury, our skilled and dedicated Vermont workers’ compensation attorneys at Sluka Law PLC can help you take all the necessary steps you need to take to ensure you recover the compensation you deserve.
