You were on the job when it happened; someone dropped a large piece of wood from above at the construction site, and that wood struck you in the head. You were rushed to the hospital, but you still suffered a severe traumatic brain injury.
While you’re making good progress on your recovery, you know that the medical bills will be high and that you’ll need long-term assistance. Fortunately, people in your situation can rely on workers’ compensation.
As an employee at the business where you were hurt, you are entitled to workers’ compensation insurance in most cases. Oregon’s workers’ compensation system provides compensation for medical expenses and your lost wages after an injury.
After an injury on the job, you should let your employer know you got hurt with a written notice. Place important information on the notice, like where you got hurt, how your injury occurred and when it happened. Your employer likely has a specific form you should fill out, but if you are unable to due to your injuries, your attorney or a family member may fill out the form for you.
Workers’ compensation claims do have deadlines, so it’s important that you file your claim as soon as possible. Even if your employer is upset about the accident, he or she cannot deny you the right to a claim. If you are struggling to get a claim submitted or are facing backlash from your employer, your attorney can help. You have a right to compensation when you’re hurt on the job, and your employer cannot stand in the way of that claim.
Source: Oregon State Bar, “Workers’ Compensation: What Workers Should Know,” accessed June 02, 2017
