If you work as a factory worker there is a good chance that at some time you will have an accident and be injured. Factory workers work in many different types of jobs, including operating machinery, feeding products on to a conveyor line, such as in a canning factory and monitoring machines. If you have an accident and are injured, your employer should have workers’ compensation insurance which helps to cover the financial hardship caused when you are injured and unable to go to work. What to Do Before Filing for Workers’ Compensation The first thing to do is to get the medical treatment you require as soon as possible. As soon as you are able to you should let your employer know about your accident preferably in writing so that it cannot be disputed later on. The sooner you let your employer know the higher the chance you will get your workers’ compensation request approved. If you leave it too late your employer may not be convinced that your accident took place at work. Filing Your Workers’ Compensation Report Once you have told the factory manager about your accident your employer may provide you with a claim form which it will ask you to fill out. You should include with the form any documents that help to prove your accident and injury took place while you were working in the factory. This could include all or any of the following details: reports written by eye witnesses such as other factory workers; photos taken by you or other factory workers who saw the accident; receipts for any medical treatment you have already paid for; video camera footage, if available, showing the accident taking place; your doctor’s report with diagnosis and likely treatment time. When you have filled in the form and you have all the documentary evidence you should hand in the form to your employer, who should forward it to its worker’s comp. insurer. If a long time has passed and you haven’t heard the outcome of your claim, you should consider about contacting your nearest workers’ comp office. One of their agents will be assigned to your WC claim and s/he will contact your employer and try to get a response. After You File Your Worker’s Compensation Report Your factory’s WC insurer is unlikely to pay your WC claim immediately as it will most likely conduct its own investigation into the accident. This includes checking any proof that you have provided which supports the claim that the accident and injury took place while you were working in the factory. Often, WC insurers deny WC claims based on insufficient evidence that is supposed to prove the accident occurred while you were at work in the factory. If you have had your WC claim denied you should contact your local Workers' Compensation Appeals Board to file an appeal. The appeal’s hearing will take place and the judge will hear the case and tell the employer’s WC insurer to pay your WC as long as your claim is valid. Contact a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Because worker’s comp claims are never easy to win it is a good idea to seek help from an attorney who can help you get your claim on the right track. Additional Resources Help! I was Hurt Working for Amazon! Can I File a Claim If I Work Part-Time at Amazon? Del Monte Foods
