Your state’s laws and your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage requirements will determine the answer. Inquire with your employer about whether you must see a specific doctor or if you have the option of choosing your own.

If you’re compelled to see a doctor chosen by your company, you may be able to change doctors after a set period of time or receive a second opinion. Even if you see your own doctor, the insurance company may insist on a medical checkup by one of their doctors.

Following a workplace injury, you must notify your employer as quickly as possible. The time constraints differ by state, but your claim will be denied if you don’t disclose the accident to your employer within the required time frame. You should notify your employer about workplace accidents even if you don’t believe you’ve been hurt. Sometimes injuries go undetected for an extended period.

Depending on the severity of your injury or illness, you may decide to hire an attorney to assist you with your workers’ compensation claim. The greater the severity of your injuries, the greater your stakes in the workers’ compensation system. If you have suffered a severe injury or believe you will be disabled for an extended period of time, you should consult a workers’ compensation attorney to ensure you receive all of the benefits to which you are entitled.

If you recover from your injuries and can perform the same type of work, your employer must offer you the next available position, but they are not required to fire the individual who replaced you to give you back your job. If you are qualified for a different type of available job at your company, you should be assigned to it.

If an employee is harmed, becomes sick, or dies as a result of a work-related accident or disease, workers’ compensation insurance helps cover medical expenditures, lost income, ongoing care costs, and burial fees.

At present, the federal government does not tax workers’ compensation benefits. If an employee has specific questions about this topic, we recommend that they contact the Internal Revenue Service or legal counsel.

Many work injuries happen suddenly, like a fall, but others happen over time and may not be discovered immediately. Cumulative trauma is a long-term work injury. Daily computer use can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. Similarly, you may develop back problems if you regularly lift heavy objects. California’s workers’ compensation statute of limitations is one year from the injury date. When an employee discovers a work-related injury and knows or should have known, the statute of limitations begins.