No one sets out to sustain an injury at work, but accidents and incidents happen. Every day, workers go to work and never return home the same.
When dealing with a work injury, it may seem like a foreign process. You may not know exactly how the workers’ compensation claims process works, but this knowledge is necessary to achieve a resolution for your injury. Take a look at the first steps in handling a workers’ compensation claim in Illinois.
Notify the proper manager
A crucial step to ensuring you retain the right to file a claim is notifying your employer. Your workplace may have a sign posted about the proper person to take the report. If you do not know, you can tell a supervisor or a human resources representative.
See a doctor
You may need immediate treatment depending on what type of incident or injury occurred, and as such, may not have the ability to report it. Even if you have a less severe injury, you may have to treat first and report later. This practice is acceptable and will not bar you from filing a claim. To qualify for a workers’ compensation claim, you need to seek medical treatment. This can occur at a hospital, clinic, primary care physician or a chiropractor.
Go through the process
When you have gotten an initial medical workup and reported the injury, your employer will transmit a claim to its workers’ compensation insurance carrier. The employer and insurance provider may refer to this as a first report of occupational injury. This is your account of the incident that led to your injury. You may want to include any witnesses who can provide further information. The insurance company will then review the claim and may start administering medical benefits, even while the review process goes forward.