Workers’ compensation is usually easy to obtain. It’s obvious when you get hurt at work in a lot of cases. For example, if you get your hand crushed in a piece of machinery at work, then there is no question that this was a work-related injury.
Other times, it can be more difficult to prove that you deserve workers’ compensation. For example, you might develop an illness from an exposure to toxins that happened years ago, like in the case of asbestos. On the other hand, you might have an injury that built up over time and eventually needed care, like a repetitive-strain injury.
What can you do if your injury isn’t obviously related to work?
If your injury isn’t obviously related to work, one thing you can do is talk to your employer and your doctor about why you believe this is a workplace injury. If your medical provider agrees that your injury was brought on by exposure to toxins in your workplace or because of repetitive use of your body, then you can take that information to your employer for submission to the workers’ compensation insurance carrier. If they refuse to file the claim, you can reach out to your attorney for help talking to your employer and filing a claim on your own.
No matter how you get hurt at work, your employer should be able to help you seek workers’ compensation. Our site has more on workers’ compensation coverage and what you need to do to make sure you get the coverage that you need after an injury.