accident report

It is important to ensure that as many details regarding your injuries are recorded in the work injury report, regardless of how minor they may seem at the time.

Picture this: you were carrying some work tools when you tripped and hurt your knee. You filed a report with your employer and went to the doctor to get checked for your knee injury. A few days later, you start noticing intense pain and discomfort in your arm. As it turns out, you used your arms to ease the impact of your fall. You had a tingly sensation in your shoulder, but ignored it and focused on the part that was clearly affected by the injury: your knee. 

What can you do now? 

The Human Body Is a Complex Mechanism 

Everything in the human body is interconnected. A lower back injury can cause pain in your hips and legs as well. An injury in your left leg can affect your gait as well. This may cause you to move quicker than usual on your left foot, lurching frequently onto the right one. As a result, you may start noticing bursitis and pain in your right hip.

You may not feel any pain or discomfort at first, but you may start noticing the symptoms a few days later. That may be problematic if you neglected to include these pains in your work injury report.

Don’t Ignore Any Injury, No Matter How Small or Insignificant

One common mistake employees make when filing a work injury report is focusing on the big and evident pains and ignoring other parts of the body. However, if you want your workers’ compensation to account for all your medical expenses, then you need to include every bruise, pain, and swollen body part in the work injury report, no matter how small it may seem. 

As you’ve seen, different parts of the body are connected in ways you wouldn’t expect and an injury to your left ankle can eventually cause pain in your right leg. 

Of course, foreseeing how an injury may affect your body can be impossible for a person with no medical training. However, by describing the accident in detail and including every pain and bruise in the report, your doctor may make the connections and prescribe you the treatment that accounts for future conditions too. 

What If I Left Something Out?

It can be difficult to persuade the insurance company to pay for an injury that wasn’t documented. A medical report can show that your condition is related to the work injury, but you should expect some push back from the insurance company. 

If you’ve already agreed on a settlement and only now you start noticing new pains that you suspect may be related to your work injury, then you may be able to reopen your workers’ compensation case. 

If you’ve signed a full and final release of all claims, then you have waived your right to reopen your case. That’s why you should always speak with an experineced St. Louis workers compensation attorney before you accept any type of settlement.  In fact, it is a good idea to get in touch with them as soon as possible after you are injured.

A lawyer can help protect your legal right to compensation and help you ensure important details are not left out of your settlement agreement.

If you have been injured on the job, it is extremely important that you report your accident to your supervisor or employer as soon as possible.

After you get injured on the job, Missouri law states you must inform your employer in writing and mention the following details:

• Date, time and place of the injury
• The nature of the injury
• Your name and address

Your employer should have copies of the official form in their office, but if they don’t, you can use the online version here. Then, it is the employer’s responsibility to file the First Report of Injury with the Missouri Division of Workers Compensation.

Here is how the process generally goes.

What’s on You

By law, you are required to fill the official form within 30 days of your injuries. If you miss the mark, you may no longer be able to file for workers comp benefits.

The form contains all the relevant information you have to provide. Before you send in the form, you should make a copy of it for safekeeping, and keep a record of the date you mailed it. You also have the option of hand delivering the form to the employer, in which case you should also clearly record the date and time you handed it in, as well as the name of the person who received it.

Though on the form you don’t need to go into a lot of details about your injury or accident, there are some golden rules to consider:

• Don’t exaggerate your injury
• Be as specific as you can
• Tell the truth

This step is incredibly important, particularly in the event the form gets lost or your employer does not inform the division of your injury, which could potentially impact your benefits. You can call the Division directly to check if your injury has been reported.

What’s on Your Employer

Your employer generally must inform the worker’s comp insurance carrier within a maximum five days from the day of the injury if they are aware of it, or within five days of the date the worker reported the injury.

Then, the injury must be reported either by the employer or the insurance company to the Division within 30 days of gaining knowledge of the injury. This is called the ‘First Report of Injury’ which can be filed electronically.

As a worker, you can check if your injury has been reported to the Division sooner, but if the report is not sent within 30 days, you can inform the Division and they can step in to handle your claim.

Speak with an Experienced Workers Compensation Lawyer

If you have been injured at work, ensure your legal right to compensation is protected by getting in touch with St. Louis workers comp attorney as soon as possible. Small mistakes can hurt your claim and get it dismissed, and after that, it may be a lot more difficult to restart the process and get compensated. Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4300 for a FREE case evaluation.

If you have been injured at work, do not assume that your employer and it’s insurance company will set an easy path to compensation for you.

If you’ve been injured on the job and have to miss work for an extended period, workers compensation can feel like a precious gift. It ensures that you have the necessary funds to cover the cost of treatment and sustain yourself until you can return to work.

However, a lot of individuals make the mistake of filing a claim without the help of a St. Louis workers compensation lawyer and aren’t able to face all the legal challenges. Getting compensation for your injuries is your right, that is correct. However, don’t assume that your employer will set an easy path for you.

Here are some tips from our expert lawyer to maximize your claim.

Report Your Injuries Immediately after the Accident

This might be obvious, but you may be surprised how many people neglect this essential step. The first thing that you need to do after a work injury (after you get first aid, of course, ) is reporting the incident to your manager. According to Missouri law, you must report the injury within 30 days after the accident took place. Keep in mind that your notice should be in writing and it must include the time, date, and place the accident occurred.

Seek Medical Aid ASAP

Not only will that prompt medical treatment reduce the time of recovery and minimize the chances of developing any complications, but it also serves as evidence when building your case. If you delay getting medical treatment, then the insurance company could argue that your injuries weren’t that severe and refuse to pay benefits or lower the amount. Likewise, make sure to follow the treatment to the letter and not give the insurance company any reason to suspend your benefits.

Be Prepared for a Private Investigation

It doesn’t take much for the insurance company to argue that your injuries aren’t as debilitating as you claim. A Facebook picture in which you are out with your friends having a drink could be more than enough to have your benefits lifted.

Insurance companies often send private investigators to check up on employees hoping to find evidence that negates your workers compensation claim. For example, if you tell your doctor that you can’t lift weights due to severe back pain, but the investigator catches you carrying groceries, that may be evidence the insurance company could use against you.

You Can Appeal the Insurance Company’s Denial

One mistake that some workers do is giving up after the insurance company denied their claim. While demotivating, denial doesn’t necessarily mean all chances are lost. With an experienced St. Louis work injury lawyer on your side, you can appeal their denial and receive the compensation you deserve. A judge will review your case and schedule a hearing to resolve the dispute.