What should you do if your employer takes no action whatsoever after you report a work injury?
Believe it or not, I see this situation frequently. I get calls every week from injured workers who say “Jodi, I hurt my back at work and I reported the injury to my supervisor but nothing is happening. Every time I tell my boss that my back is killing me, he says that they are ‘working on’ my claim. Several weeks have gone by and I don’t know what to do.”
I think that in many ways, being ignored is worse than being denied. At least you know where you stand if your employer controverts your claim even if your work injury claim is legitimate.
But having your on-the-job injury claim ignored is not acceptable either. First, you can’t be sure that your employer has reported your claim to the Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation. If your claim is never officially reported (within one year of your injury) you can lose all of your rights.
Second, Georgia law says that you have 30 days to report your work injury claim to your employer. If they are doing nothing, they may very well claim that you never reported your injury. This is why I always advise my clients to report their injuries in writing and to ask for a written confirmation of the report. [Read more…] about What Should You Do if Your Employer Ignores Your Work Injury Claim?