How to Prove Your Injury Really Happened at Work
Your New Jersey workers compensation benefits depend on the fact that you were injured on the job, while working your job. If you can’t prove otherwise, you could be personally liable for your injuries, and, if you don’t have disability insurance, may be left with no way to pay your wages in the event of an accident or illness.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take to help reduce the likelihood of a workers compensation claim dispute.
Proving Injuries
The first step happens while you’re still at work. Even if you’re working from home, calling your supervisor always needs to be the very next thing you do. You should also contact HR and make sure they get the incident report directly, often via email.
The next step is very like the steps you’d take a car accident. You need to take pictures of the accident site, of your injury, and anything else that might be relevant. It’s also a good idea to note the names of any coworkers who might have witnessed the accident.
Getting medical care should be your very next step. Don’t go back to work or do anything else. Follow all of your doctor’s instructions. If you are required to get follow-up care it is vital for you to attend every appointment.
In a case where you are too injured to take any of these steps there should be even more evidence, as an ambulance is likely collecting you from your workplace and at a specific time during your normal, scheduled work hours. This can be a little more challenging if you work from home without scheduled work hours.
Proving Illnesses
Covid-19 has, of course, brought issues of workplace illness to the forefront.
You will have to prove that your workplace or exposure to something in the workplace directly contributed to you getting ill. This could be exposure to a pathogen or a toxic substance. In general, any worker for whom exposure to illness is part of the job can make a strong case for the illness being work-related. Those in the health industry often have the strongest cases.
The Canzanella bill presumes that exposure to disease is work-related for first responders.
You may have options. It’s always best to speak to a workers compensation attorney if you are unclear as to whether or not you can prove you contracted an illness on the job.
Get Help Today
You can get a risk-free case evaluation from Talone-law if you were injured or became ill on the job. If you’re denied workers compensation benefits don’t wait. Contact us to get help today.
See also:
New Jersey Workers Compensation Advice for Remote Employees
Do I Need to Prove Fault in an NJ Workers Compensation Case?
Will Reporting an OSHA Violation Impact my NJ Workers Comp Claim?
