If you’ve never dealt with workers compensation before, you might not even realize that there are, in fact, time restrictions on how long you have to claim the benefits you’re entitled to. Even moreso, the longer a person waits, the easier it is for their claims to be disputed. To make sure you don’t miss out on any compensation you may be entitled to, we’ve gone ahead and listed some of the most important relevant information below.
Reporting Your Actual Injury
One of the first things you must do if you’ve been injured on the job is make sure you report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. In Michigan, this must be done within at least 90 days of the incident in question, or within 90 days of illness discovery, and must be done either orally (meaning you informed and explained the situation to a direct supervisor), or by filling out an incident report (which is often recommended as it offers additional documentation to support your claims). If you do fill out a formal report, you will want to make sure you keep a copy of it for your own personal records.
Pursuing Workers’ Compensation
Once your injury has been reported, and hopefully documented, you will have two years to claim your benefits. For most people, this simply means verbally asking for the medical treatment and/or lost wages you’re entitled to, however, this is also something you might want to get in writing. Submitting your requests in writing will mean it is USPS certified, meaning there will be a timestamp providing additional evidence of your timeliness pursuing your claims. In certain cases, it may even be possible to claim benefits from disabilities or diseases that manifest after the two-year mark, though these situations are rare and will depend on your unique circumstances.
Back Rules
In some cases, you might be able to claim retroactive benefits you were unable to receive prior to your approval. If, for instance, you were previously paid wage loss benefits, you may only be able to receive one year of retroactive benefits dating back to the filing of your Application for Medication or Hearing (not including medical expenses). If you never received wage loss benefits, you can go back as far as two years.
Just remember, if you ever have any questions or concerns about your ability to receive everything you’re entitled to, you best option is to let our talented workers compensation attorneys at Aiello Law Group take over. Our team will always make sure you’re awarded every benefit/assistance you’re eligible for! Reach out to our incredible attorneys at Aiello Law Group. Call us, today, at 313.964.4900 or fill out the form in the sidebar or on our contact page, and learn more about how we can help you.
