Suffering a severe injury while on the job comes with all sorts of challenges, such as pain, expensive medical bills and missed days of work. Unfortunately, there are things that some injured workers do that make the process of seeking compensation for their injuries much harder than it has to be. Avoid these common mistakes so that you can receive the help that you need to recover quickly and effectively.

Not reporting the injury

Immediately after your injury, seeking medical attention is the most important thing. But sometimes, workers forget to report the injury to their employer. This failure to report an injury can be catastrophic, because it can limit or even ruin your chances of receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

Not providing every detail

The workers’ compensation process requires an accurate diagnosis of your injuries by a medical professional. If you fail to provide all of the details of the accident to the doctor and in your report to your employer, you might not qualify for the amount of coverage that you need to pay for your recovery.

Not following the doctor’s orders

If you don’t follow your doctor’s recovery regiment, you might make your condition worse. Workers’ compensation will only cover injuries from workplace accidents. If you create new medical problems by disobeying the doctor’s orders, you probably won’t be able to seek compensation for those new problems.

Returning to work too soon

If you return to work too soon after your injury against doctor’s orders, you run several risks. Not only could you make your injury worse by working before you have fully healed, but you also might be giving the insurance company an excuse to reject your claim. They may argue that, since you are working before the doctor said that you should, you obviously weren’t injured as severely as you claimed that you were.

Not talking to an attorney

The workers’ compensation claim process involves filing many forms under strict deadlines. Trying to handle it yourself rather than hiring an attorney could lead to a mistake that results in a rejected claim. In addition, having an attorney present while negotiating with the insurance company may be the difference between getting the compensation you need, and being left to deal with your medical costs on your own.

No matter how careful you are, workplace injuries are a real risk every day. Fortunately, as long as you avoid these common mistakes, you will have the chance to seek the workers’ compensation payments that you need to make a full and healthy recovery.