What are the reporting and claim deadlines for workers’ comp?
Timing is very important if you need workers’ compensation benefits for an injury or job-related illness in Georgia. You theoretically should have coverage from the very first day on the job, regardless of your experience or accidental contributions to your injury.
Employers must carry workers’ compensation coverage, even for brand new and part-time employees, to protect them from liability for worker injuries and illnesses. However, there are situations in which companies can deny workers benefits.
Mistakes with timing and reporting are among the more common technical mistakes made by employees that need workers’ compensation benefits. What timing rules apply to workers’ compensation claims in Georgia?
You need to warn your employer right away
The sooner you report your medical issue to your employer, the better your protection. With the rare exception of scenarios where you are unable to do so, you have a legal obligation to report an injury or diagnosis to your employer within 30 days.
If you take longer than that without evidence of a coma or similar medical issue preventing you from making the report, your employer and their insurance company could deny you benefits based on the delayed disclosure.
You need to file a claim in a timely manner too
Once you report the matter to your employer, there will be an internal company record affirming that you may have the right to claim benefits. Still, you need to initiate the actual claim in a timely manner or risk losing coverage.
Some people think that they should wait until they complete medical treatment or they know exactly how long they will be away from their job. However, you only have one year from the date of injury or diagnosis to start the claim process. If you wait longer than that or wait until the very cusp of the deadline, you can find yourself denied benefits due not to ineligibility but rather the consequences of procrastination.
Filing a claim even before you know the total cost or exactly what treatment you need will help ensure that you receive the full value of benefits that you deserve given the impact of your condition. Learning more about how workers’ compensation benefits function can take the mystery out of filing a claim.