Whether they like their jobs or not people in Illinois need to go to work in order to earn a living and provide for themselves and their families. There are many different types of jobs that people have though with many different types of job responsibilities. Some people work in office settings and spend much of their day at a desk. Others work in factories and are much more labor intensive. In between there are many other jobs with varying levels of physical requirements.
While some types of jobs require more physical activity than others, accidents can occur in any work setting and workers can be injured as a result. People can also suffer injuries that develop over time due to the repetitive movements that they perform every day at work. The movements that cause these injuries may be pretty easy at the time, but after doing the movement over and over for years it can wear down muscles and ligaments. When workers suffer these injuries at work it can be very difficult as they recover.
Injured workers may incur significant medical bills and miss time at work as well. This can create financial difficulties in addition to the physical ones. Workers may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits after a workplace injury, but there are certain steps they should follow after suffering the injury.
Steps to take after workplace injury
The first thing workers should do is obtain the appropriate medical treatment for their injury. After receiving the medical care, workers need to notify their employer of the accident and injury within 45 days of suffering the injury. Employers are required to report any injury that requires at least three missed days from work and may need to pay workers’ compensation benefits. Workers are also entitled to information on their rights and workers should know these rights. If there is a dispute over the benefits, workers have three years to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
Unfortunately, many workers are injured in Illinois each year. These workers have rights and may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Experienced attorneys understand the process and may be able to guide one through it.
