A workplace injury is an all too common occurrence.  When you are injured at work there are very specific technical and legal requirements that you must follow to ensure that workers’ compensation benefits are available to you.  If you have been hurt at work, you must take the following steps immediately to preserve your rights:

• Report your injury in writing to a supervisor within 30 days.  Failure to file a report within 30 days may jeopardize your ability to obtain benefits.  Sometimes an employer has a form that you can use to report your injury.  If they do not have a form, you can use this form provided by the Missouri Department of Labor to provide to your employer.
• If you need medical treatment, you should indicate your need for treatment to your employer immediately.  Under Missouri law, your employer has the right to select your treating physician.
• Talk to a worker’s compensation attorney about what benefits you are entitled to.  It is also important to keep records of anything you provide to and/or receive from your employer.

Sometimes your employer may not have workers’ compensation insurance coverage.  If your employer has told you this, you can verify their coverage, or lack thereof, at the Missouri Department of Labor’s website.