Workers Comp Basics: Record Keeping To Protect Yourself

Law Blog

When you're injured on the job, you're pitted with a host of difficult dilemmas: medical bills, lost wages, longer term recovery, and potential emotional distress. Even if your employer stands by your side to ensure that you are taken care of, you still may not receive what you're legally entitled to.

Here's a quick guide to help you make workers comp work for you:

Keep Records

Regardless of how helpful your employer might be, it's imperative to build a dossier of documents related to your case.

  • Receipts: any medical bills, legal bills, or miscellaneous expense you accrue while sorting out your workers comp issue.

  • Correspondences: letters, emails, voicemails, and any other communications related to your case should also be categorized and stored.

  • Forms: any forms you fill out related to your workers comp case must be copied, scanned, categorized, and stored.

These documents should be organized by date and category. Additionally, all documents should be stored in physical form (paper) and digitally*. For instance, you may want to create a file folder, both on your computer and in a secure location in your home, for all legal bills related to your case.

*This requires you to scan all documents related to your case to create digital files.Make sure your computer files are saved on your hard drive and on a secure cloud-based storage platform (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.)

Get it in Writing

Much on the lines of the previous section, it's important to make sure that every detail of your case is put in writing. For instance, if you employer makes any overture about your case to you, ask them to put in writing. If they aren't willing to put it in writing, you should not consider any anything they say as legally binding. This same principle is true of insurance companies.

Identify the Rep

Whenever you talk to a representative of insurance company, be sure to ask them for the following information:

  • Name

  • Employee Identification

  • Extension #

  • Email

  • Supervisor's Name

It's important to ascertain this information before you spend significant time discussing your case with them. If they aren't able or willing to provide the aforementioned information, request to speak with their supervisor. Furthermore, always request that any documents, forms, or other information you discuss on the call be sent to you in written form. If possible, request that the information be emailed and sent via snail mail.

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8 March 2017

Noni and the Accident

My name is Noni. When I was in college, I was hit by a car while crossing the street. My life was never in danger, but I did break a few bones and had a lot of huge medical bills. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get involved with an attorney, but unfortunately, it came down to that. I used a family friend who is an accident attorney to get some compensation. A few years later, I was hit while riding my bike and had to go through the same process. I suppose I'm lucky to be alive. And it's thanks to accident attorneys that I have been able to put my life back together. I started this blog as a way to let others know just how much lawyers can help you in certain situations.