If you’re injured on the job, it’s natural to have concerns about your health, your ability to work in the future and the impact on your finances.

As an employee, there’s a high likelihood that you qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. However, there’s a big difference between filing a claim and receiving the money you deserve.

Since you want to avoid a denial at all costs, it’s imperative to take the right steps during the claims process. Here are some things you should do:

  • Inform your supervisor: Regardless of how serious you think your injury may be, report it to your supervisor so they have a full understanding that it occurred on the job. If your supervisor is not available, contact the HR department to share details regarding the incident.
  • Seek medical care: Even if you think you can recover at home, you never know the full extent of your injury until you receive a medical evaluation. If you can’t transport yourself to a local urgent care facility or hospital, call 911 to request an ambulance.
  • Immediately file a claim: Once you know that you can’t immediately return to work, look into the process of filing a workers’ compensation claim. Not only does this protect against a denial, but it helps you receive benefits as soon as possible.
  • Collect evidence: Your employer could argue in the future that you shouldn’t receive benefits because your injury actually occurred outside of work. Collect as much evidence as you can to back up your claim. For example, if a coworker witnessed the incident, they may be able to give a statement should this situation arise.

When you do these things, you reduce the likelihood of a workers’ compensation denial. Unfortunately, this isn’t always enough, as you could still receive a denial letter in the mail.

Should this happen, learn more about the appeals process, including the steps you need to take and the deadline for doing so.

Don’t let a denial stop you from pursuing the compensation that’s owed to you. It’s critical to push forward until you receive the approval you deserve.