What Are My Rights After Being Injured at Work?

 The role of workers compensation coverage is to protect eligible employees who suffer injuries during the course of their employment. It also covers dependents of a worker who dies while advancing their employer’s interest, whether or not it happened in a work setting.

After reporting the incident, your employer should provide you with a claims form and later, submit the same to the insurance company. Remember, you can file a lawsuit against your employer if they don’t have work comp insurance.  

Right to Raise a Safety Concern at Your Workplace

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promotes safe workplaces for better businesses. If you’ve reasons for concern regarding the safety of your work environment, you have a right to address this without employment consequences. 

Since a business can be heavily penalized because of unsafe workplaces, your employer might use threats of demotion, transfers, or reduced wages to silence you. This is a crime, punishable by jail time or fines.  

The Right to Receive Medical Treatment

Whether minor or severe, all workplace injuries should receive medical care and evaluation. According to Georgia’s work comp laws, your employer should provide a list of six doctors and you can choose the one you prefer. In addition, you have the right to switch from one of these doctors to the other if you are dissatisfied with their care for any reason.

Therefore, your employer shouldn’t force you to work with injuries, and neither should they prevent you from receiving care.