Responsibilities of Employers in Managing Injury Claims
by
James M. Hoffmann on Aug. 22, 2014
Employment Workers' Compensation Employment Employee Rights Accident & Injury
Summary: Employers and employees have to follow a particular set of steps whenever an employee suffers an injury while working. These steps should be followed to facilitate everything needed to deal with the injury.
Even though each state has its own set of laws suited for the situation, these laws follow general guidelines that are generally applicable to all states in the entire country.
The first thing to remember is that every employer has the responsibility of ensuring the safety of employees while they are working.
Whenever employees suffer an injury while working, it is important for the employer to complete a Report of Injury or any other report in connection to the injury of an employee. Once the report is complete, it should be sent to the workers’ compensation carrier of the company.
The employer should also ensure that none of the rights or laws of injured employees is violated by the company. A doctor should be approved to examine an employee whenever he or she suffers a serious injury that requires medical attention.
In addition, employers have the responsibility of working with their workers’ compensation carrier while an investigation is being conducted on the events leading to the injury. These parties may also require documents about the payroll history of the affected employee from the employer. The personnel file of the employee should also be available for them to check. It is also possible for them to discuss the story of the employee in connection to the injury with the colleagues or immediate supervisor of the employee.
After the employee is healthy enough to report for work, the employer should be ready to accept the employee and allow him or her to go back to work. The employee should not be reprimanded or dismissed from work simply because they filed a claim with the workers’ compensation carrier. The employer may face the risk being the subject of a lawsuit if this is done.
The employer also has the responsibility of providing assistance to the state workers’ compensation board to prevent fraudulent activities. It is common knowledge that fraud is committed by an employee if he or she lies about any injuries suffered while working or when the employee is fabricating an injury. But, fraudulent activities may also be committed by an employer. For instance, the employer may not provide the First Reports of Injury to the workers’ compensation carrier to reduce the claims history and prevent any increases in premiums or related issues. The injured employees will eventually find out the reason why they have not received the benefits they are supposed to receive in the first place.
Employees who have been injured on the job should contact a Missouri workers' compensation lawyer if they have been injured on the job. Call (314) 361-4300 today to speak with an experienced workers' compensation lawyer at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann.
More resources:
when to hire a workers comp lawyer
workmans comp missouri
