In Minnesota, you have 10 days to report your work injury to your employer. If you miss this window, you will be ineligible to collect injury compensation, even if symptoms spiral or you end up missing an extended period of time from work. Don’t screw up your workers’ compensation claim because you did something as silly as failing to report your injury to your employer.
Reporting the injury is essential, but if you’re smart about how you report the injury, you can make life a lot easier on you down the road while you’re pursuing compensation. In today’s blog, we share six tips for properly and thoroughly reporting your work injury.
The Right Way To Report Your Work Injury
Don’t just mention to your supervisor in passing that you hurt your thumb at work. There are specific protocols to follow and information that should be included when reporting your injury to protect yourself if you end up moving forward with a claim. Here’s what you should do:
1. Inform A Supervisor Right Away– Don’t wait hours or days to report your injury to your supervisor or Human Resources. Make sure the injury is reported the same day, preferably as soon as possible after any injuries have been addressed. Waiting more than 10 days to report the injury can render you unable to collect compensation, but waiting even a day or two can make earning an award much more difficult as the insurance company may question the true origins of your symptoms.
2. Put It In Writing – Don’t just mention your injuries verbally or leave a voicemail on your HR representative’s phone. Make sure the details of your injury are written down if reporting your injury in person. Better yet, follow up your report with an email that reiterates what you just spoke about in your meeting where you reported the injury so that you have a clear paper/digital trail.
3. Provide Key Time Details– Make sure your report includes key details about the accident, including the date, time and location of the injury. Be overly specific, especially if this will make it easier for your employer or anyone else to pull video recordings of the area where the accident occurred.
4. Explain The Totality Of Bodily Injuries– Don’t just say that you’re injured or you hurt your hand, be specific about all areas that have been injured and what symptoms you’re experiencing. For example, you’d want to report that a back injury is making it difficult to walk comfortably, or that three specific fingers were injured in the machine press. Make sure all of your injuries are reported.
5. Report Witness Information– If any witnesses were present or there were coworkers who could back up your version of events, be sure to include their information or mention their names when reporting your injury.
6. Get A Copy Of Your Report – Finally, get a hard copy or a digital record of your injury report. You’ll want to keep a copy for your records to confirm key details or to simply showcase you filed the report as you claim that you did. Don’t leave the room until you’ve been provided with a physical copy or you can see that a copy of the report has arrived in your email inbox. Don’t assume they will follow through with getting you a copy like they say they will, get it before you leave your supervisor’s office!
Finally, make sure you connect with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in the event you decide to move forward with an injury claim. Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm will be glad to go over the basics of your case and build a strong claim that maximizes your award amount. For more information on how we can assist with your injury claim, give Dean and his team a call today at (952) 230-2700.
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