Construction workers hurt on a job site in Bergen County may expect their supervisor to help them understand their rights. In some cases, they may defer to a supervisor who tells them they probably aren’t eligible for workers’ compensation or that filing a claim is not worth the hassle.
A supervisor may recommend waiting to see if the issue improves on its own before filing an official report or seeking workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, the information that they provide may protect the company more than the worker. After a Hackensack site accident, construction workers may need to talk with a workers’ compensation lawyer to understand their rights.
The importance of filing a report
The best time to report a construction injury in New Jersey is immediately after it happens. Employees typically only have between 14 and 90 days to report an injury, and sooner is usually better. Waiting to see if the injury improves protects the company from a blemish on its safety record, but it may also raise questions about the origins of a worker’s symptoms.
A supervisor might encourage an injured professional to use their own health insurance and even paid leave for a site injury. However, health insurance imposes major patient responsibility costs. High deductibles, copays due at every visit and a certain percentage of care costs imposed as coinsurance can add up to thousands of dollars for workers who may also lose income as they take time off to recover.
Supervisors may not understand liability either. Injured professionals may have grounds for a third-party claim against a machinery manufacturer or a subcontractor who is negligent on the work site. If the injury is the result of a fall, a defective tool or another situation that connects to an outside party, injured workers may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit in addition to receiving workers’ compensation benefits.
At Parisi & Gerlanc, Attorneys at Law, we help injured workers in Hackensack, Ramsey and across Bergen County pursue the benefits that they deserve. We want to guide injured professionals through their recovery. We assist people with both workers’ compensation claims and third-party lawsuits. Call us today at 551-353-5879 to schedule a free initial consultation.