Workers Lack Awareness of Workers’ Comp Benefits, Leading Many to Miss Filing Claims
When workers get hurt on the job, they should get workers’ comp benefits. But many don’t realize this, and it can be hard to prove qualification for benefits.
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES, May 27, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Workers’ compensation laws were created to provide a financial cushion for workers whose livelihoods are disrupted by injuries on the job. The main qualification for getting workers’ comp benefits is being hurt at work.Simple, right?
But a recent survey of workers conducted by the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) found that only a little over half of injured workers filed for benefits, and one of the main reasons was not knowing that benefits are available.
For the workers who do file for benefits, they also have to prove they were hurt at work, not just say it. What evidence is needed for workers’ comp?1
If there weren’t many witnesses, if the injury was painful for the individual but not easy for others to see, or if the injury built up over time from wear and tear on parts of the body—like carpel tunnel syndrome—proving that an injury happened during work can be trickier than it seems.
Workers need to provide what workers’ comp laws refer to as “objective findings.” That means medical evidence that can be measured or observed by a health care provider.
A person’s own reports of pain and other symptoms won’t be enough.
Workers’ compensation lawyers help people stay informed about benefits they are entitled to receive. And they focus on helping people meet the technicalities of qualifying for workers’ comp benefits2 that can sustain them after an injury.
A lawyer will know what counts as “objective findings,” and how to collect and present the evidence.
The workers’ comp attorneys at Bothwell & Hamill have extensive experience with these kinds of cases in Washington State, where workers’ comp is run by L&I.
The Bothwell & Hamill attorneys urge anyone injured at work to get medical treatment right away, file an injury report promptly, and save a copy of the report in order to successfully start the process of proving qualification for benefits.
Learn more from Bothwell & Hamill.3
Tim Hamill
Bothwell & Hamill Attorneys
+1 509-248-0941
email us here
1 https://www.bothwellhamill.com/labor-industries/what-evidence-do-i-need/
2 https://www.bothwellhamill.com/labor-industries/am-i-eligible/
3 https://www.bothwellhamill.com/about-us/