Video Transcript
A big mistake I often see people make is not reporting their injury right away. Sometimes workers get hurt but decide to wait and see if the pain goes away. They don’t want to be seen as complainers, so they tell themselves, “I’ll see how it feels in a few days.”
Maybe the injury happens toward the end of the week, and they go home hoping it’ll get better. By the time they mention it to their employer on Monday or Tuesday, it can raise questions. Most employees have signed a handbook or received instructions that any injury must be reported immediately to a supervisor.
When that doesn’t happen, the employer or the Bureau may ask: “Did you really get hurt at work?” or “Why didn’t you report it right away?” Sometimes they even wonder if the injury happened at home and is just being reported as work-related.
Unfortunately, workers’ compensation often gets a bad reputation. When I worked at the Bureau, my boss—who was the law director at the time—told me that many people think workers’ compensation is similar to welfare. But it’s nothing like that. These are hardworking people who never wanted to get hurt. They simply want to recover and get back to work.
For more information about workers’ compensation claims in Ohio, contact Monast Law Office for a free consultation.
