Should I Report Minor Work Injuries?

Minor injuries like cuts and bruises can happen on the job. Injuries like these are often so minor they don’t require any medical treatment, and are usually forgotten. But, even minor injuries can lead to more serious problems.

Here are a few reasons why every work injury, no matter how minor, should be reported.

Future Complications

A seemingly minor cut could become infected and lead to worse medical complications. A back or neck injury that seems like a minor ‘pop’ can become debilitating pain the next day. Filing a report as soon as possible after an incident occurs makes your employer acknowledge the injury and you can prove that they were aware of it. Not filing a report can affect your workers’ compensation claim later on.

Medical Treatment

Whether your injury is small or more serious, Workers’ Compensation should generally cover your medical treatment if the accident occurs while performing work duties. Whether an injury requires first aid or more significant treatment can become a disputed issue. An employer may view an injury as “not serious enough” to justify medical treatment, but you may want to file a claim form with your employer anyway. This protects your right to seek a medical evaluation and have a doctor determine whether the injury needs further treatment.

Time off Covered

This point is related to future complications from seemingly minor injuries. Whether it’s at the time of the injury or later on, taking time off work to treat a work-related injury should generally be covered by Worker’s Compensation. If you don’t report your injury right away, your employer may ask you to still report for work, which can lead to further medical problems.

Creating a Safer Workplace

You may think that reporting a minor work injury is going overboard, but you may have also just gotten lucky. Many times, small work-related injuries are due to overlooked workplace safety issues. If you don’t file a report for your small injury, the issues that caused it will remain, and the next person might not be as fortunate. Filing a report creates a safer workplace for everyone.

Protect your right to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits by reporting every injury to your employer. If it turns out to be something minor, there is no harm in reporting it to your supervisor. But, if it turns into something major later on, you will be glad you reported the injury early on.

Getting Help with Workers Compensation

If your employer refuses to cooperate with your request for medical treatment, or if there is a disagreement about the severity of an injury, you may benefit from seeking legal advice from a Certified Workers’ Compensation Law Specialist.

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Cole, Fisher, Cole, O’Keefe + Mahoney is Central California’s leading workers’ compensation and social security disability law firm. With over 30 years of successful experience, we are committed to securing maximum benefits for our clients in the Fresno, California area. Schedule a free consultation today.