Report work-related accidents.
Don’t Wait! Report ALL Work-Related Accidents in a Timely Manner!
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act provides the only remedy against your department for on the job injuries. There are several steps that injured workers must take to protect the important rights that the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act provides. The first step all injured employees must take is to report their work-related accidents.
Report your work-related accidents as soon as possible. Report it to your supervisor. Illinois law allows injury reporting to be either verbal or written. While the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act allows you up to 45 days to report an accident, don’t wait that long! The longer you wait, the more likely it will be that your department will use that delay as a defense against you, claiming that you must have hurt yourself somewhere other than at work. This is especially true for injuries that happen at the end of shifts or before long weekends or vacations. If you first report your injury when you get back, guess when and where your department is going to claim your injury happened! Don’t give them that defense.
No accident is too small to report. An injury that might seem at first to be a minor strain, could develop into something much more severe, requiring significant medical treatment and time lost from work. If you have not reported your accident, even a seemingly minor one, you have given your department a defense to deny your right to workers’ compensation benefits.
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act is there to protect you. Don’t lose that protection by failing to timely report your work-related accidents, no matter how small it may first appear to be. Report your work accident. Protect yourself. Protect your family.
As a free service to your company attorney Jay Johnson will come to your meeting to speak on work related injuries. If your company is interested in having Jay speak at your next meeting contact us toll free at (630) 585-2320.