Although occupational injuries occur in all industries, construction workers are said to face higher risks than others. Despite the fact that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration provides comprehensive safety guidelines and regulations to prevent construction accidents, they continue to occur on sites nationwide, including in Illinois. Workers in this industry may do well to gain knowledge about what to do in such circumstances, rather than learning on the fly after being critically injured.
The success of a workers’ compensation benefits claim may depend on the injured worker’s compliance with the rules and the time limits of the process, and being informed of the requirements may be an advantage. The most important step is to get the necessary medical care from qualified paramedics — especially after a fall in which there could be spinal cord damages. Moving a victim with such an injury could lead to paralysis.
Any workplace injury, regardless of the severity, must be reported to the site supervisor or the employer within a predetermined time after the incident. He or she will provide the claim forms to be filled out and returned to the employer who must then file it with the insurance provider before the deadline. The injured worker must then wait to find out whether benefits will be awarded.
The Illinois workers’ compensation insurance program is a no-fault system that typically pays benefits regardless of who was at fault. For that reason, victims of construction accidents can pursue financial relief to help them cope with the medical bills and lost wages if the injuries caused temporary disability. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help with the complicated claims process.
Source: consumersafety.org, “Construction Safety“, Accessed on March 9, 2018
