If you do these things, you will have a greater chance of having your case handling smoothly and in a timely fashion.
Getting into a lengthy legal process is usually not in your best interest. For this reason, getting through your workers’ compensation case quickly should be your second priority behind obtaining a fair benefits package. Fortunately, there are a variety of things that you can do that can help you streamline your claim and finish it quickly.
Report Your Injury Right Away
The first possible delay you could see in your workers’ compensation case is entirely your responsibility. If you wait to report your injury, you will set the process back. Additionally, doing so can weaken your chances of obtaining benefits altogether. For these reasons, your best bet is reporting as soon as you sustain an acute injury. In the event of slowly developing damage, notify your employer when you start to experience symptoms.
Write Everything Down
When you talk to your employer’s insurance company, lawyer, and doctor, they will all ask you a series of similar questions. Later in your claim, these same people will likely continue to ask you specific questions about your injury. If you write down all of the relevant information regarding your case, you will be able to answer them quickly and accurately. A few details to include are the nature of your injury, what time of day it happened, and the story behind it.
Follow the Doctor’s Orders
One thing that can derail a workers’ compensation case is an employee not following the doctor’s recommendations. Sometimes, employees suffer a delayed case and more time without benefits. Other times, their compensation is reduced or eliminated because they do not show devotion to improving their health.
Decide What Your Goals Are
When you make your claim, you should decide what exactly your goals are in your case. For some, that will mean settling quickly at a number that may be below their target. For others, they might want to fight the case until they get every penny they deserve. Either way, not knowing your goals will cause delays because you will not know what to do in many situations.
Communicate With Your Lawyer
Your attorney is there to guide you through your claim and negotiate in your behalf. If you choose an experienced lawyer, they will do just that. Of course, they need to know what you want before they can work towards getting it for you. Doing so is the next step after deciding what your goals are. Once your attorney understands what you want, they will operate on that knowledge until further notice.
Making your claim go by quickly comes down to responsibility and communication. In the early stages of your case, you should report your injury right away, write down all critical information, and start to follow your doctor’s recommendation. Later on, you can solidify your goals and tell your St. Louis work injury attorney how you want your case handled. If you do these things, you will have a greater chance of having your case handling smoothly and in a timely fashion.