Sustaining an injury or illness on the job can be challenging. As you plan to be out of commission for a while, it’s important that you receive compensation for your lost wages. If you’re in a similar situation, take the following tips into consideration.

Report the Incident

As soon as you’ve been injured or exposed to an illness, it’s important to report it to your employer. While it’s essential to seek immediate medical help, make sure that your employer is alerted as soon as possible. In many cases, workers’ compensation can be denied if an employee does not promptly report the incident. While you may not want to go reporting your co-workers for sneezing on the job, if your company doesn’t have sick leave available for employees, you’ll want to talk to your boss about options before the infection spreads to you.

Give Your Employer a Written Note

In addition to reporting your incident, it’s important that you present your employer with a written notice detailing your injury. While you may send a text or call to alert them at the time of the incident, make sure to properly and formally document everything. Some states require employees to use a specific form where they describe the injury and the date it occurred. It’s best to give this statement to your employer immediately after your accident or incident. This is also essential if you want to document your employer pressuring coworkers to continue to work while sick, endangering the health of you and others.

Hire a Compensation Lawyer

Another step to take is to hire a compensation attorney. Compensation lawyers will give you the best advice on how to move forward with your workers’ compensation claim. In a worker’s compensation case, everything you say and do matters as this can either be used to help or hurt your case. Work closely with a compensation lawyer to make sure that you’re properly navigating this challenging process.

Document Everything

Details like the days you’ve missed work, travel responsibilities and out-of-pocket expenses can all be used to bolster your case. Depending on where you live, you may be eligible to receive wage replacement payments based on the number of days you’ve been out of work. Some states have a “7-day waiting period” that they use to gauge when to pay out wage replacement repayments. Similarly, medically necessary travel expenses and mileage are also considered in these replacement payments.

In addition to writing everything down, keep all your receipts and be sure to take photos of the injury or your illness. This documentation will serve as evidence as you file for workers’ compensation. Make sure you get the money you deserve by following best practices for being compensated after an on-the-job incident. With this guide, you’ll be able to salvage your paycheck after an injury or illness.

Author information: Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.