As an Alaskan worker, you probably already know that you can most likely file a workers’ compensation claim if you become injured or ill at work. What you may not realize, however, is that you must follow a strict procedure to get the payments you deserve. You also may not realize that you have the right to hire an attorney to help you through the claims process.
If you get hurt at work, the first thing you should do is get the immediate medical attention you need. You need to see a licensed physician, and you need to give him or her your employer’s official name and address. You should also ask him or her to send a copy of your medical report to both your employer and the Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board within two weeks after seeing you. If you need continuing treatment, you have the right to switch physicians once if you become dissatisfied with your original doctor’s treatment.
Informing your employer
You must inform your employer, in writing, about your accident within 30 days of its occurrence. Be sure to include the name of your supervisor, foreman or boss, as well as the names of any coworkers who saw your accident occur. If you suffered a work-related illness as opposed to an injury, you should also include the work conditions that you believe caused your illness. Your employer has the responsibility to advise its workers’ compensation insurer of your injury or illness. The insurer thereafter has 21 days in which to begin paying you benefits or denying them.
Documentation
Be sure to keep a record of all doctor visits that you make, the names of medications your physician prescribes and the date of the prescription(s). Also, keep receipts of all your medical expenditures, plus a log of your travel expenses related to your injury or illness. Likewise, keep a record of all contact with your employer’s insurance carrier, such as phone calls, emails, snail mail, etc. The more documentation you can present, the better the likelihood you have of making a successful workers’ compensation claim.
