No one wants to think about getting hurt on the job, it’s a messy ordeal for everyone involved. But what if an accident did occur, are you prepared to take action immediately? Being prepared and ready to report injuries quickly can save both you and your business a lot of headache. Additionally, the quicker a company reports workers’ compensation injuries to their insurance carrier, the lower the claim costs are likely to be.
Timely reporting of injuries can provide numerous benefits to the employer, such as:
- Injured workers’ concerns and anxiety alleviated. – Reporting workers’ compensation claims late can result in a disgruntled employee, who now has no motivation to return to work (which means the claim costs will likely increase even more.)
- Proper medical treatment is provided. – Prompt reporting ensures your employee gets the proper medical care in a timely manner and can return to work more quickly, improves morale, and is effective cost management.
- Avoids costly litigation. – The cost of the claim gets higher and higher for each day it is not reported.
- Assists with early evidence gathering. – The longer a claim is waited to be reported, the harder it becomes for a proper investigation to determine the cause of injury.
- Avoids penalties. – Each state regulates workers’ compensation claim reporting. In West Virginia, for example, employers are required to report injuries to the state with 5 days of being informed by their employee.
In the end, work related injuries can cause frustration and anxiety if not properly managed. Contact your Allegheny Insurance agent for advice on whether to submit a claim and make sure it’s sooner, rather than later.
