What Not to Do When You’ve Been Hurt at Work
In New Jersey, as in all states, when you’ve suffered an injury on the job, you have a right to seek benefits through the state’s workers’ compensation system. It’s a pretty straightforward process, but there are things that you should avoid doing because they might put your right to recover benefits at risk:
- Failing to notify your employer in a timely manner—While you technically have 90 days to notify your employer without compromising your benefits, it’s in your best interests to inform your employer as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the greater the risk that you’ll suffer an unrelated injury that makes it difficult to link your original injury to the workplace. In addition, your employer or the workers’ comp insurance company may argue that your injuries were not that serious since you didn’t notify anyone.
- Failing to get medical attention for your injuries—Any reasonable and necessary medical expenses incurred because of a workplace injury will be covered by workers’ comp, so there’s no reason not to seek medical care. You won’t get any financial benefits for trying to shake off the injury. And again, it makes it possible for your employer or the insurance company to later argue that your injuries must not have been that serious since you didn’t seek immediate medical attention.
- Living your day-to-day life as if you’ve not been hurt—It’s natural to want to get back to the things you love. Understand, though, that the workers’ comp insurance company has a vested interest in denying or diminishing your claim. It’s fairly common for them to send a private investigator to observe your daily activities. If you act like you haven’t been hurt, it can be used against you in the workers’ compensation proceeding.
- Failing to hire experienced legal counsel—Your case may seem like a no-brainer, but your employer and the workers’ compensation insurance company will aggressively look for ways to minimize or reject your claim. A proven workers’ comp lawyer will ensure that all documents are timely filed and that you don’t do anything that unreasonably puts your right to recovery at risk.
Contact the Law Office of Howard D. Popper
At the Law Offices of Howard D. Popper, we can help protect your rights. For a free initial consultation to discuss your options after you’re hurt in a New Jersey motor vehicle accident, contact our office online or call 973-993-8787 to set up an appointment. We have offices in Morristown and Newton.
We handle all personal injury claims on a contingent-fee basis. You won’t pay any attorney fees unless we recover damages for your losses.