Work can be tough especially when you are exposed to different hazards. Unfortunately, there are dangers your job entails that can lead to injuries. If ever you get a work-related injury, you are entitled to file a workers’ comp claim. However, it can be a battle of rights and pride to ask your employer to provide compensation for the injuries you have attained while working.
On one hand, you might think that the work accident was something that could not have been prevented by your employers and therefore, does not make them responsible for your treatment. However, it is within your rights as an employee of the company to receive appropriate care whenever you receive an injury because of your work.
The question you might ask, is it beta or alpha to file a claim at work? Is it something one should opt to do or not?
The answer would be a yes. Of course, you should file a workers’ comp claim if you ever get injured at work. It is not something to be ashamed about or something that you think would burden your reputation or your employer’s.
In fact, filing a claim is beneficial not only for the employee but also for the employer. Here are several reasons why filing a workers’ compensation claim makes everyone an alpha.
For Employees
Obviously, employers would benefit from filing this type of claim. As an employee, you can reach out to an Atlanta workers comp lawyer to help you with the process. They can explain further the following benefits of filing a claim and guide you through the process.
Treatment
The main benefit of getting workers’ compensation insurance is that an employee’s medical treatment will be paid. This will greatly benefit workers with tackling xpenses. From emergency room fees, MRIs, x-rays, scans, diagnostic testings, hospital room, surgery, psychological assessment, and even physical therapy.
Whatever medical attention that the injured employee needs will be given and fully paid by the company. This would be one less thing for employees to worry about and would just need to focus more on their recovery.
Wage Compensation
Due to injures attained by the employee, it is possible that he or she will not be able to go back to work immediately. He or she will need a significant amount of time to recover and for a healthcare provider to check and clear them as ready to return to work.
The time that an employee would not be able to attend to their job also means that they would not be able to have a salary to support their expenses. By filing a workers’ comp claim, an employee will be able to receive his or her salary for their recovery period until the doctor deems that he or she is healthy to go back to work.
Permanency Benefits
This benefit is also called long-term losses. Unfortunately, there are work accidents that lead employees to have major injuries that lead to them having permanent physical disabilities or difficulties. Some might have their limbs amputated or suffer from a herniated disk in their backs.
These types of injuries are very unfortunate and one could only hope that they could have been prevented. However, this does not equate to them not being able to enjoy their lives or live normally.
If ever you (an employee) received these kinds of injuries because of a work-related accident, it is important to file a claim so that you are able to receive an amount of money to compensate for what happened. The amount depends per case based on the uniqueness of the injury, occupation, and lifestyle.
For Employers
You might be surprised to read that even employers benefit from their employees filing a workers’ comp claim. They (employers) benefit to some extent as well.
Cheaper Cost of Claim
It would benefit employers if their injured employees file a claim right away instead of pending it. The longer the claim is not reported the higher the compensation would be which companies do not like.
Based on the study, the cost of claims that were reported a maximum of two weeks after the injury happened was eighteen percent (18%) more expensive than claims reported within the week of the incident. If the claim was reported for about fifteen to twenty-eight days, the rate would rise up to thirty percent (30%).
Improves Morale
An employer reporting compensation claims of their workers show their compassion and concern. This is one way for them to show how much they care about their employees. This way the morale of their workers will get a boost.
Not filing claims will result in employees feeling neglected. They will feel unmotivated to do their jobs. They will also feel unsafe seeing that being injured in that workspace will be financially devastating for them as well.
Avoid Legal Issues
It is the employer’s responsibility to provide a safe workspace for their workers and that they should provide care and tend to their employees if an injury occurs in the workplace. Legally, it is within the rights of the employees to seek compensation for any work-related injuries attained.
For companies to avoid any legal issues against their employees and the government, they should report claims right away. The law requires they report any instance of an injury within seven days after the employee informs them.
As you can see, filing a workers’ comp claim at work is something you should be proud of doing if ever you get a work-related injury. It will hugely benefit employees. Filing a claim will help them with receive the appropriate medical treatment and recovery they need.
This will also allow them to have wage replacement if their injuries would require them to stop working for some time. It will also be a huge help when you have long-term losses.
Employers even encourage employees to file claims immediately so that they can pay a lower-priced compensation. Furthermore, this is also a way for them to show how important their employees are.