You are hurt at work, and the accident and ensuing chaos may mean that you utterly forget to complete an Employee Accident Form.
You suffered an injury while on the job, and you may not believe it is serious enough to seek medical treatment or report it to your boss – let alone file an official Employee Accident Form that documents the incident and your injuries.
You suffer from sort of WEAR and TEAR injury that you believe developed over time due to the repetitive motions you perform day in and day out at work, but since you don’t know exactly when or how you became injured, you feel uncomfortable completing an Employee Accident Form.
Do any of these situations sound familiar? Do you think you may fall into one of these categories? If so, you should not panic – but you should act with a sense of urgency.
Better Be Safe Than Sorry
Even if you are unsure about how you wish to proceed after suffering a work injury, err on the side of caution and complete a Employee Accident Form as accurately and completely as possible. Many injured workers are under the misconception that filling out an Employee Accident Form automatically leads to hearings, depositions, and other unwanted legalities. While it is true that many workers’ comp matters include administrative hearings and other formalities, the reality is that many claims are accepted outright by workers’ comp insurance companies without issue. Even if you do receive some pushback from the insurance company regarding certain medical treatment, expenses, etc., the vast majority of these matters resolve through negotiation and/or settlement.
The bottom line is that if you do not complete the Form, and you eventually require medical treatment or other assistance, you may find yourself out of luck. Even if there is no question that you suffered a work-related injury that should be covered by workers’ comp, your employer and the insurance company may refuse to pay benefits if you fail to complete the Form in a timely manner. Once this decision is made, it may be very difficult to get it reversed.
Time is of the Essence!
In the State of New Jersey, injured employees must report a work-related accident to their employers within 90 days. However, employers may have much shorter, self-imposed deadlines – some as little as 24 hours. Avoid unnecessary headaches and difficulties by completing the Form as soon as you can.
If you complete the Form long after the incident, the insurance company will likely use the fact that you waited so long against you. They may challenge your recollection of the incident, since memory fades with time, and they may also question your motives. You can eliminate all of this by filling out the Form as soon as possible.
Contact Us Today
At Petro Cohen, P.C., we have helped thousands of injured employees successfully navigate New Jersey’s Workers’ Comp System and obtain the benefits they deserve. If you are receiving pushback from your boss regarding your Employee Accident Form, or you did not file one in a timely manner, we can help. Call or contact us for a free consultation. Talk to an experienced lawyer who can help you sort out your rights. We can be reached by phone at 888-675-7607, or you can complete our online form. We look forward to discussing your situation with you.
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