Workplace accidents injure millions of people every year. In fact, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), nearly 3 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private employers in 2011 alone, and a 4,693 lives were lost in fatal workplace accidents in 2011.
Although work-related injuries can occur in any job and industry, they often occur on construction worksites and in industrial manufacturing facilities. Employees are often confused about how to proceed if they are injured in work-related accident. The following describes what you should do if you are injured on the job.
- Get medical treatment. If you are injured while on the job, you should seek immediate medical attention. If possible, notify your supervisor of the accident. Some work-related injuries like back injuries and repetitive trauma injuries do not develop symptoms while on the job. Nonetheless, you should still seek medical treatment as soon as possible. You may also be asked to see another doctor of your employer’s choosing.
- Follow doctor’s orders for recovery. The failure to follow doctor’s orders could be seen as an exacerbation of the injuries.
- Notify your employer of the work-related accident or injury. Injured workers are generally entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, but to receive them, you must comply with certain requirements. Under the Illinois law, you must generally provide notify of the work-related accident or injury within 45 days of the accident or injury. In order to properly document the workplace accident, you should notify your employer in writing of the date and place of the accident, along with a brief description of the accident and resulting injury, and your contact information.
- Contact a knowledgeable Illinois workplace accident lawyer like those at Cogan & Power, P.C. Our skilled Chicago accident lawyers focus on helping injured employees obtain full and fair compensation for their work-related injuries, including workers’ compensation benefits and personal injury damages from any responsible third party. We will explain your legal rights to you, help you pursue your workers’ compensation claim, and advocate on your behalf in any related legal actions.
- File a claim for workers’ compensation benefits with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) ifyour workers’ compensation claim is wrongfully denied by your employer or its insurance company. In most cases, injured workers have three years from the date of injury to file a claim with the IWCC. While there are no fees to file a claim with the IWCC, there are several legal requirements you must meet. The Chicago workplace accident lawyers at Cogan & Power can help ensure that you comply with the applicable legal procedures.
If you have been injured or a loved one died in a work-related accident, please contact our office at (312) 477-2500 to schedule a free consultation with one of our dedicated Chicago workplace accident lawyers.