If you’ve been injured while on the job, it’s very likely that you are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation insurance is mandatory for most employers. It helps to cover the costs of medical care and lost wages due to a workplace injury. But filing for workers’ compensation benefits can sometimes be confusing. On top of recovering from an injury and worrying about missing work, you might find the task of filing for benefits to be overwhelming. That’s why there are checklists to help injured workers through the workers’ compensation claim process.
What items are commonly on a workers’ comp claim checklist?
Experts in workers’ compensation laws recommend following a simple checklist when applying for workers’ compensation benefits. The five steps they recommend are:
- Report your injury to your employer and file an injury report — Many states only allow you to claim benefits if you report your injury to your employer within 30 days of the incident. That’s why it’s important to alert your employer right away.
- Seek medical care — Don’t wait to seek medical care for your injury. Even if your injury seems minor, it may be more serious than it appears. It may have lasting effects on your health if left untreated. Going to see a physical therapist about your injury should be a key part of this checklist step.
- File a workers’ compensation insurance claim — Your employer is responsible for giving you all the forms needed for the insurance provider and state workers’ compensation board. Be sure to fill out all paperwork carefully and turn it in.
- Keep your employer updated — Make sure your employer is kept updated as you recover from your injury. While you are under no obligation to share your medical records with your employer, keeping them updated about your recovery can help your case.
- Contact a workers’ compensation attorney — If needed, a workers’ compensation attorney can help you with your claim paperwork, and help you file an appeal if your claim is rejected for any reason.
This checklist can help you stay on track with your workers’ compensation claim. However, let’s take a closer look at the second step in this checklist. That step is seeking medical care, which should include going to physical therapy.
Why should going to physical therapy be a step on my workers’ compensation checklist?
Physical therapy is an important step in recovering from a work-related injury. Some injuries may have effects that last long after the workplace incident occurred, and may prevent you from returning to work. Physical therapists are trained to not only help you reduce your pain while you recover, but also to make sure you return to work stronger, to lower your risk of becoming injured again.
Here are three reasons why physical therapy should be on your workers’ compensation claim checklist:
- Reduced pain — One of the main goals of a physical therapy program is to help you reduce the pain you feel while recovering from your injury. Physical therapy can be an effective way to reduce pain without the risks of prescription pain medication.
- Increased mobility — Many work-related injuries result in a loss of mobility. This can be due to fractures, sprains, dislocations or other conditions that restrict your ability to move your body. Your physical therapist can use methods such as joint mobilization and other manual therapy techniques to help restore your movement and flexibility.
- Work conditioning — Your physical therapist can help you determine whether you are ready to return to work. Returning to work too early can result in further injury. Work conditioning therapy is designed to strengthen your body and improve your focus so that you can perform your job with lower risk of future injuries.
Whatcom PT can help you mark the PT box on your workers’ compensation claim checklist
Have you suffered from a work-related injury in the northwest Washington area? If so, Whatcom Physical Therapy can help you check physical therapy off your workers’ compensation claim and injury recovery checklist. With our team of licensed physical therapy specialists, we can help you recover from your injury. Our customized physical therapy plans can even help you get back to work faster.
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help your work injury or to schedule an initial appointment.
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