How Do I File a Workers’ Compensation Claim in New Jersey?
Posted January 17th, 2024.
Categories: Blog.
Have you recently suffered an injury while on the job? If so, you need to seek medical care right away. Remember as well that you might be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. You may well be looking at a difficult road regarding your recovery, and workers’ compensation benefits would take the stress off, helping you to pay for medical care and recover lost wages. This blog will explain all the basics you need to know about how to file a workers’ compensation claim in New Jersey. Keep reading to learn more, and keep in mind that contacting a Camden County personal injury attorney is one of the best things you can do to ensure a successful outcome.
Steps in Filing a New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Claim
See a Doctor and Get Medical Care
As mentioned above, the first and most important thing you need to do is talk to a doctor. This is triply true if you find yourself in an emergency situation. But even in a non-emergency situation, you should go to a clinic or a hospital. You’ll typically need to go to the one chosen by your employer, as without pre-authorization, your medical costs might not be covered by workers’ compensation. However, if this is an emergency situation, you don’t need your employer’s authorization.
It’s more beneficial to tell your doctor from go that your injury is work-related. For one, your doctor can’t give you proper treatment if they don’t know what happened. But being upfront is also helpful for billing reasons. Your doctor needs to know that your medical costs will be paid through workers’ compensation.
Be sure to follow all of your doctor’s orders. Take good care of yourself as you begin to recover; there won’t be anyone to claim benefits if you don’t look after yourself. For documentation purposes, keep a copy of your prescriptions, bills, and any medical records you are given.
Contact a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Your very next step should be to contact a workers’ compensation lawyer. While you may begin the process on your own by reporting your injury, having a seasoned lawyer with experience getting the best outcomes for their clients will put you in a better position and protect you more from possible missteps.
Your employer will typically investigate your claim for New Jersey workers’ compensation and decide to accept or reject your claim. If they accept, all looks good, and they’ll pay for your medical bills, transportation costs, and wage-loss benefits for which you qualify. Unfortunately, your employer may reject the claim, even if you believe there are good reasons to accept it. This is why it’s best to start working with a lawyer as soon as possible.
Report the Accident and Injury
Once you begin working with your lawyer, your next step may be to report the injury to your employer. Be quick about this; you might even consider reporting your injury and then contacting a lawyer. You only have 90 days from the date of your injury to notify your employer if you want workers’ compensation benefits. The notice doesn’t need to be in writing, but having it written provides some benefits. Be sure to keep a copy of the notification itself, the date and time of the injury, and the supervisor to whom you gave the report.
Stay Up-to-Date On the Status of Your Claim
After reporting your injury, if you haven’t already, you should call an attorney as soon as possible. Your employer or their workers’ compensation insurance has 21 days to file a First Report of Injury after they receive your notice. As you’ll be working with a lawyer, if you note that the days are passing and your employer or their insurance hasn’t filed the report, your lawyer should ask about it.
