What to Do After a Derby Workplace Injury

Workplace injuries are unexpected and traumatic. You might not know what to do or how to respond. If you have been injured while at work in Derby, you should do three things right away. Learn more about these steps that you should take on this page.

Get Treatment

First, report your injury to your employer. Let them know what happened. Be sure to report all your workplace injuries, even the “little” ones. If you don’t report your injury, your employer may later claim dispute your claim.

Second, get prompt medical treatment. This seems obvious, but in practice, many injured workers wait and work out their day’s shift before they seek treatment. Don’t wait. Get treated as soon as you can after you report your injury. Your employer must pay you for a full day of work for the date of your injury.

File a Claim

Third, file an official workers’ compensation claim. Simply reporting it to your employer or receiving medical treatment is not enough. You file with the Workers’ Compensation Commission. You must document your claim. If you don’t do this, you will lose your eligibility for certain benefits. Neither the employer’s report of injury nor an accident report satisfies this requirement. You must use the official form.

That said, it is easy to file. You need to complete a written Form 30C. This form, which is formally entitled, “Notice of Claim for Compensation,” needs to be completed and filed with the Workers’ Compensation District Office for the location where the injury occurred. It also needs to be sent to your employer. You must file your official claim within one year of the date of your injury. If you don’t file within this deadline, you will lose your right to bring a claim. If injured in the workplace in Derby, our workers’ compensation lawyers can assist you in filing your official 30C claim notice.

You must file your official workers’ compensation claim in the District Office for the location where you were injured. This might be different from where you live or even from where your office is located. It’s the place where you were hurt that determines where you file. Connecticut has eight District Offices, each of which represents several cities and towns within its geographical area. The District Offices are in Hartford, Norwich, New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, New Britain, Stamford, and Middletown. Make sure you file your claim in the correct District Office. Our lawyers can assist any worker injured in a workplace accident in Derby in filing their official workers’ compensation claim.

For example, consider this scenario: A worker lives in Middletown, travels from her usual place of employment in Waterbury to Bridgeport, and then is injured in a workplace accident in Bridgeport. She must file her workers’ compensation claim in the District Office in Bridgeport. She would not file in Waterbury (where her employer’s facility is located) or in Middletown (where she lives). Rather, she must file where she was hurt (Bridgeport).

What to Expect

Once you file your workers’ compensation claim, the “typical” case, where the employer does not contest responsibility, usually flows in an organized manner. Here is a brief outline of the flow of a workers’ compensation claim:

Injured on the Job and Initial Medical Treatment

The employee is injured, reports the injury, receives initial medical care, and files an official workers’ compensation claim. The employee should follow all physician treatment recommendations. The injured employee should retain legal counsel to represent their interests. The treating physician must determine the employee’s present work capacity.

Continued Medical Care and Total Incapacity from Work

The employee selects an attending physician and follows treatment recommendations. There may be a possible consultation with a specialist care provider and/or surgery, depending on the extent of the injury. The employer must pay Temporary Total Disability wage replacement benefits. The treating physician must provide appropriate medical care and continue to evaluate the employee’s work capacity.

Improvement and Light Duty Return to Work

The employee receives continued medical care, and injury conditions improve. The employee can return to work, at least in partial capacity. If no light duty work is available, the employee is eligible to receive Temporary Partial Disability wage replacement benefits.

Maximum Medical Improvement

The employee’s injured conditions resolve, or injuries reach the point of maximum improvement. The employee is eligible for compensation for permanent injuries based upon the treating physician’s evaluation. If unable to return to work, they could be eligible for further discretionary benefits. They could resolve the claim through final settlement.

As you can see, even uncontested workers’ compensation claims can be complex. Our workers’ compensation attorneys stand ready to assist any workers injured in Derby workplace accidents. We are here to help.