Construction season is in full swing, and thousands of construction workers are hard at work across the state reworking roads or building new projects. Because of all the hard work they perform in sometimes dangerous situations, it should come as no surprise that construction is one of the leading industries for work injuries. Even though thousands of construction workers suffer on-the-job injuries every year, many of them decide not to file for benefits for one reason or another. In today’s blog, we look at three reasons why many construction workers opt not to file for workers’ compensation, and why they should collect benefits in these scenarios.
Why Construction Workers Don’t File For Injury Benefits
While some of these reasons could apply to other industries to some degree, we’ve noticed that these reasons for not filing for compensation tend to be more prevalent in the construction industry. With that in mind, here’s a look at three reasons why construction workers may opt not to file for workers’ compensation benefits.
1. Don’t Want To Miss Out On Seasonal Work – In Minnesota, many construction workers do not have the luxury of working year-round because of the weather. That means they often want to work as much as they can when the weather complies because they may be laid off when the weather gets cold. They may try to tough out an injury so that they can continue to work and collect a paycheck. But if medical bills start to pile up or your pain starts to make life difficult, it may be too late to collect compensation if you tried to keep working through the injury. You are entitled to compensation, so don’t jeopardize your ability to collect by trying to work through it because you don’t work year-round.
2. Don’t Want To Be Seen As Weak – Some people incorrectly believe that filing for compensation after an injury will make them be seen as weak by their coworkers or management. Just because you work manual labor doesn’t mean that you’re weak or not as tough as your co-workers if you file for compensation. In fact, it takes a certain amount of strength to put your health first and step away from a situation to ensure your body gets the care and attention it needs. It takes more strength to file a claim than to ignore it in the construction injury. At the end of the day, you need to put your health and your family’s financial security ahead of any preconceived notions about how you may be viewed by others for filing for workers’ compensation.
3. Fear Repercussions From Management – Finally, some construction workers believe that they will be targeted by management if they file an injury claim. They fear that their hours may be reduced or that they’ll be assigned certain undesirable or risky tasks because they missed time and collected compensation. It’s important to remember that it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee who files for workers’ compensation. You should not be afraid of backlash from management, because we can help you file an additional suit if they reduce your hours or act unjustly towards you because you filed a claim.
So if you work construction, we hope that you stay safe throughout the busy season. But if something happens to you or a coworker, it is imperative that you consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer and figure out your best option going forward. Don’t let any of the above reasons stop you from getting the compensation that you and your family deserve. And if the complexity of the case is what’s scaring you off, we implore you to sync up with Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm. We’ll handle all the paperwork and claim development so that you can just focus on your health. For more information, or to talk to a member of our team, give Margolis Law Firm a call today at (952) 230-2700.
