What do I do if I’ve been injured on the job?

Here at Madia Law, a huge number of the clients we serve are people that have been injured while at work.

In Minnesota, your employer must pay for your care if you are injured at work.  Employers in Minnesota are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance and use that insurance when an employee has been injured on the job.

That said, the first thing you need to do if you’ve been injured on the job is report the injury to a supervisor.

Now – let’s be careful here:  Most employers have policies and procedures around when and how to report workplace injuries.  Most employers require you to report injuries to a supervisor as soon as they happen no matter how small the injury.  Make a commitment today, after reading this post, to look at your employee handbook and read the workplace injury policy.  Familiarize yourself with this policy, commit it to memory, so you know exactly what is expected of you if you get injured.

Even if you don’t know your employer’s specific policy, however, make sure to report all workplace injuries to a supervisor as soon as you are able to do so.  After you’ve reported the workplace injury, follow your employer’s instructions about what to do next.

What if my employer won’t pay for my treatment after I’ve been injured on the job?

In the event that you report your injury to your employer and your employer doesn’t let you fill out paperwork to file a workers’ compensation claim, you’ll need a workers’ compensation attorney.  While we aren’t workers’ compensation attorneys here at Madia Law, we have great relationships with a variety of workers’ compensation attorneys and would be happy to connect you with someone.

What if my employer fires me after I’ve been injured?

Your employer is not allowed to fire you because you got injured on the job.  For that matter, your employer is not allowed to treat you in any negative way because you’ve been injured on the job – that means that your employer is not allowed to demote you, cut your hours, cut your pay, or terminate you because you’ve been injured.

If you feel you’re being treated differently because you were injured on the job, call us at Madia Law for a free consultation.