Whether you work as a construction manager, delivery person, or accountant, you are usually at risk of suffering an injury in the course of your work. Injuries or illnesses suffered out of and in the course of employment are covered by workers’ compensation, and employees can receive benefits following such injuries. Besides your injury or illness being work-related, you also need to begin reporting a work injury in Coral Gables to your employer within the allowable time for you to receive workers’ comp benefits. In fact, employers and workers’ compensation insurance companies could deny your claim if you don’t report the injury properly or in good time.
If you have been injured on the job, it is imperative that you report promptly to your employer. Working with an experienced lawyer can help you avoid missing important details when reporting your injury or illness. Call the office of Work Injury Rights today at 954-829-7077 to speak to one of our workers’ compensation lawyers to find out more about reporting a work injury in Coral Gables.
How Long Do I Have in Reporting a Work Injury in Coral Gables, Florida?
Employees who have been injured while on the job in Florida are encouraged to report their injury immediately. Florida law provides that an employer should report their injury or illness not later than 30 days from the date of the injury. Reporting a work injury in Coral Gables promptly allows your employer to look into the workplace accident in time and to allow for timely processing of benefits by the workers’ comp insurance company.
Who Do I Have to Report a Workplace Injury To?
If you have been injured or suffered a work-related illness, you are required to report the injury or illness to your employer, supervisor, or human resource manager. Workers in the construction sector may also begin reporting a work injury in Coral Gables to the foreman for them to receive workers’ compensation benefits. We advise workers to follow up on their report by writing an email to the relevant person.
What Are the Employer’s Responsibilities After a Workplace Injury?
In the event of a workplace accident that results in an injury to a worker, an employee is expected to fulfill some responsibilities under workers’ compensation laws. Some of these responsibilities begin after the employee has begun reporting a work injury in Coral Gables include the following:
Report
Report the workers’ injury, illness, or death to their insurance carrier within 7 days after the knowledge of the accident. A copy of this report should be provided to the employee or their estate. However, the employer doesn’t need to begin the process of reporting a work injury in Coral Gables to their insurance carrier if the injured employee only required first aid. It is imperative that the employer keep specific records or information regarding first aid only cases.
File
File additional reports, such as copies of medical reports and wage statements, with the state department of workers’ compensation as required when reporting a work injury in Coral Gables.
Provide Notice
Provide the employee with a written notice of the availability of services from the Ombudsman Office and Employee Assistance. In the case of a Lost Time Claim, employers are required to file a 13-week wage statement with their carrier within 14 days after being informed of the workplace injury. This helps establish the proper Average Weekly Wage and the compensation rate of the injured employee.
Provide Medical Treatment
Provide the injured employee with medical treatment by sending them to your preferred approved doctor. If the employee required urgent medical care and couldn’t report their injury before receiving treatment, the employer should allow them to receive the treatment from their preferred doctor and cater to their medical costs.
Offer Work Options
Offer the injured employee light-duty working options if they can return to work after their injury. If the employer fails to do so, they are required to provide the injured employee with the full amount of their weekly benefits.
What Are the Employee’s Responsibilities After a Workplace Injury?
Under Florida’s workers’ compensation laws, workers who suffer injuries out of and in the course of employment have the following responsibilities when reporting a work injury in Coral Gables:
Report Injury
Reporting a work injury in Coral Gables to their employer or supervisor. You should report an injury immediately, and not later than 30 days from the date of the accident that caused their injury or 30 days from the date a doctor told you that you’re suffering from a work-related injury or illness. Failure to do so, the employer may bar a petition under the Florida statutes, and the employee may lose their workers’ compensation benefits. In the event of the death of an employee due to a work-related injury, this requirement should be satisfied by the employee’s estate or agent.
Cooperate With Investigation
Cooperating with the employer if they need to investigate after reporting a work injury in Coral Gables. A common request made by employers is a drug test, which helps establish whether the employee was under the influence of alcohol or other drugs at the time of the workplace accident that caused their injury. Failure to submit to a drug test will be interpreted as a positive drug test, and an employee might lose their workers’ comp benefits.
Cooperate With Medical Treatments
Accepting reasonable medical treatment from a doctor assigned by the employer. In Florida, it is the employer who chooses the doctor or physician from whom the injured employee will receive medical treatment. The employee should accept reasonable medical care as they may lose their right to receive workers’ comp benefits if they fail to get treatment from the recommended doctor.
Accept Light-Duty Work, if Possible
Accepting light-duty work if you can work after a work-related injury. In most cases, employees who take on such work will receive lower weekly wages than their pre-injury wages, but are eligible for temporary partial disability benefits.
Call Us Today When Reporting a Work Injury in Coral Gables and Receive a Free Consultation with Our Trusted Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
Unlike the common perception, workers’ compensation claims are governed by various statutes, most of which the average employee doesn’t know. Going alone in a workers’ comp claim can be tricky, as you could easily miss important information, leave out crucial details, or miss a time limit – all of which could jeopardize the validity of your claim. If you have been injured out of and in the course of employment, reach out to Work Injury Rights to speak to one of our Coral Gables workers’ compensation lawyers before reporting your workplace injury.
In the event of a workplace injury, both the employer and the injured employee are required to fulfill some responsibilities. Most importantly, the injured employee should report their injury in time while the employer should report such an injury to their carrier in a timely manner. To ensure that you understand all your responsibilities in a workers’ compensation claim, call us today at 954-829-7077 to schedule a free consultation with one of our lawyers.
