Can I File Multiple Workers’ Compensation Claims?

You are entitled to receive compensation for any and all injuries that occur while you are performing work duties, but how do you go about filing multiple claims in the event that you suffer multiple injuries during an on-the-job accident? In today’s blog, we explain how multiple injury work accidents are handled, and we explain the situations in which you may need to file multiple injury claims.

Do I Need To File Two Injury Claims?

Let’s say you’re injured in a fall down some stairs at work and you end up dislocating your shoulder and fracturing your ankle during the fall. Both injuries are separately documented by a medical professional, and now you want to collect compensation for lost wages and medical expenses related to all your injuries. Do you need to file separate claims, or can you group your injuries together as part of one individual injury claim?

In most cases, you will file one injury claim for the incident itself, not for the different injuries you suffered as part of the incident. In other words, the ankle and shoulder injury would be included on an injury claim that is related to the fall. This helps to keep the process a little simpler for the employee and cuts down on the paperwork for all involved.

That said, there absolutely are instances where you’ll need to file multiple injury claims, and that’s possible even if they end up involving the same incident.

Filing Multiple Injury Claims

So when would you need to file multiple workers’ compensation claims in order to get the compensation you deserve? While every claim will need to be pursued on its own merits, some common instances in which separate workers’ compensation may need to be filed include scenarios where:

You sustained multiple injuries in separate on the job accidents.
New injuries that develop as a direct result of your original injury.
Injuries that become symptomatic after your original claim was filed.

While the first point is pretty self-explanatory, the other two might be clearer if we provide examples. The second bullet point discusses injuries that develop as a direct result of your original injury. For example, let’s say you injure your knee at work and receive care for the injury, but a few years down the road, you start to develop hip pain. You see your doctor and they say that it was likely brought on because of your previous knee injury and how that affected your gait going forward. In this instance, a separate injury claim can be filed, which will document the new injury and relate it back to the original work accident.

As for the third bullet point, our bodies naturally try to mask pain by releasing adrenaline and other hormones in a moment of crisis. It’s very possible that you do not realize the extent of your injuries until much later down the road. If your original injury claim was filed, and then you found out that you also have a herniated spinal disc or hairline fracture in your foot that needs care, you may need to file another injury claim.

So for the most part, the majority of clients (or the injury lawyer representing them) will only need to file one claim in order to collect compensation for all injuries suffered during a work accident. However, if future injuries can be traced back to the work accident, or you suffer another injury during your recovery, you may need to file multiple claims. We’d be more than happy to help you with any aspect. For more information, contact Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm today.