California residents work in various industries, including public safety with jobs like firefighting; health with jobs in nursing and medicine; office jobs, such as administrative assistant; manual jobs, such as construction; and other public employees. Many injuries may occur, such as burns, lacerations, scratches, sprains, breaks and more. These injuries all may seem major, but you can also file a workers’ comp claim for a minor injury, and it actually may be more important to do so than you think.
Why you must file a claim for a minor injury
At the time, a bruise or a minor cut, when considering minor injuries, may not seem all that serious. A few weeks or months later, however, that minor injury may turn into something much more serious. If you received a minor cut from a metal or unclean surface, for instance, that could eventually turn into a serious infection. Make sure you report every injury you sustain for a workers’ comp claim before it is too late, and you have a much more difficult time receiving compensation.
How to file a claim
If you are an employer, be sure to file an injury report form as soon as an employee reports an incident, no matter how minor it is. You and that individual will then work together to file a workers’ comp claim just in case the injury becomes more serious. A representative from the insurance agency calls you and the employee to discuss the incident and determine if the claim is necessary. After the call, you can continually update the agent to give the most accurate information possible and keep him or her informed.
Don’t put off filing the claim
If you have an injury from work, be sure to file a workers’ compensation claim as soon as possible. Discuss the claim with your employer, so he or she is not surprised. If your claim initially gets denied, and your injury turns more serious, contact a lawyer who can help you receive the compensation that you deserve.