Workers Compensation 101: Why It’s Important To File a Claim Immediately

Injuries at work are, unfortunately, quite common. While some of these injuries are minor and require no more than a band-aid, others are more serious and can have a lasting impact on your health, workability, and quality of life.

If an employee gets hurt at work, you should report the injury to your state’s workers’ compensation board. This allows employees to receive benefits sooner and prevents small businesses from incurring fees or penalties associated with late reporting. 

Keep reading about workers’ compensation and why filing a claim after a workplace injury is essential, or you can visit this website for more information.

Why Should Businesses Report Workers’ Compensation Claims Immediately?

1. Allowing For A Thorough Investigation Of The Accident.

Reporting a workplace injury claim promptly can help investigators get to the bottom of what happened more quickly. If you can get your insurance carrier involved in the investigation of an accident as soon as possible, it will be easier for a workers’ compensation claims adjuster to gather information about what happened.

It may be hard to believe anyone would fake an injury to collect workers’ compensation benefits, but it always happens. Experts estimate billions are fraudulently paid out each year.

You not only want to avoid paying unnecessary benefits, but you also don’t want any workers to be left out if they are genuinely hurt. By investigating early and thoroughly, the employer can give employees who need workers’ compensation benefits what they are due.

2. Reducing The Costs Of Workers’ Compensation Claims

Early reporting of an injury to the workers’ compensation insurance carrier can speed up the investigation and reduce overall claim costs.

In many cases, an employer’s failure to provide adequate medical treatment for an employee who has suffered a workplace injury can worsen the worker’s condition or cause another accident. As a result, the injured worker may be entitled to additional compensation. This can result in higher costs for employers and workers’ compensation insurance carriers.

3. Avoiding A Late Fee And Penalties For Not Filing On Time

Every small business must report workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths to OSHA and its state’s workers’ compensation division. Delaying to report a workplace accident can result in fines. Firms that file late face stiff penalties. A system for reporting injuries will prevent you from missing the deadline for filing claims and avoid financial penalties.

4. Late Reporting Hurts Employee Morale.

How can an employee’s trust in you and your organization be eroded if they believe you did not promptly report their claim to the insurance company? The injured employee may feel neglected and undervalued, thinking that the injury doesn’t seem important to her.

Delaying the filing of a workers’ compensation claim may cause employees to feel unappreciated [and less motivated] to return to work. Also, the longer a claim goes unresolved, the greater the chance of litigation. The sooner a claim is resolved, the better for all involved.

Conclusion

If you experience a workplace injury or illness, it is best to report the accident immediately to your insurance carrier. Keep abreast of your insurance company’s response to claims, and work with them to facilitate a return-to-work plan for injured workers.

If unsure whether the injured worker requires medical attention, make a preliminary injury report and submit it to the insurance company. You will immediately save money by reporting workers’ compensation claims and may prevent litigation.