Getting hurt at work can be a scary thing and if it’s never happened to you before you may not know what to do next. If you are injured you may need to file a Connecticut workers’ compensation claim so you can be compensated for your injury and you can make sure that you get the proper treatment that you need as the result of your injury.
Since you have likely already been through what could be a traumatic experience in getting injured on the job you may not be focusing on the process with a clear head. This can present a challenge because if you miss a step or take an unnecessary step it could slow down the process of your claim and in some cases it can even lead to your claim being denied. It is for that reason it is important that you know the steps that are required to take to get your claim filed.
Once you have injured yourself you may know that you should immediately report your injury to your supervisor. This is a first, but VERY important step to take. The longer you take to report your injury to your immediate supervisor the greater your chances of having your claim denied are due to the elapsed time it took to get the report in. While it is not a guarantee that your claim will get denied, you should not take any chances with starting the process of filing your claim.
The reason reporting your injury to your supervisor is so important is that doing so will then trigger the next step of the reporting process. After your report is filed with your supervisor a first report of injury will be sent to the State of Connecticut’s third party claims administrator. This is the next step in the process where your claim will either be approved or contested.
The final step of the reporting process is one that is somewhat optional in that it is only required to be followed if medical assistance is needed for your injury. The critical piece to this step is that you will need to utilize the network providers for medical treatment. If you use a provider that is outside of the third party medical provider network there is a chance that you will put your claim in jeopardy which could result in you not receiving the compensation that you are entitled to under the law. This piece of the reporting process is subject to the jurisdiction of the Workers’ Compensation Commission.
When you are injured at work you will want to follow all of the steps in the reporting process properly so you can file your Connecticut workers’ compensation claim with no hiccups and get the benefits that are owed to you through the claims process. Failure to follow the steps appropriately may leave you in jeopardy of losing those benefits which can be devastating to you both from a financial and a medical standpoint.
While the reporting process is quite straightforward you may still be interested in working with a board certified workers’ compensation attorney to make sure you get the process correctly. Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you about your situation and work with you to protect your long-term interests.
