About this service

Injured at work? Unsure of what to do next? Getting injured at work is often a very scary thing in life. You depend upon your job for income, keeping your family secure and paying your bills. When you’re injured at work you also may worry about whether you will be fired because you make a claim. Will your company hold your job for you? Will you be compensated for your injury, time and trouble? The experienced Workers Compensation attorneys at TCRJ can answer all of these important questions, and guide you on what steps to take next.

WHAT TO DO

1. Make sure you promptly report any injury to your manager or human resources department as soon as it happens.
2. Make sure you talk to any witnesses to your injury and have them sign brief statements acknowledging that they saw your injury or were present right after it happened.
3. Keep a diary or timeline of events following your work injury. It will come in handy.
4. Make sure your treating physician knows the date of your injury and how it happened.
5. Keep track of your mileage to and from doctor’s appointments if your travel is outside the county of your employer.
6. Ask for a second opinion if you are unhappy with the treating physician. Under Indiana law, your employer has a right to direct your treatment. However, they will often change your physician if you are unhappy with his “bedside manner”.
7. You should seriously consider opting for an independent medical exam following your release from the treating physician. This is FREE and is one right you have under Indiana law. Many times, the independent medical examiner will suggest treatment not previously offered to you.
8. Make sure to ask the treating physician what future medical treatment you may need following your release. This may include ongoing physical therapy, prescription medications, injections, orthotic devices, etc.
9. Contact your employer to return to work if the treating physician places you back to work on “light duty”. If you fail to do so, your employer may terminate you.
10. Exercise your right to obtain a second opinion on your permanent partial impairment rating (PPI rating). Many times, the PPI rating from the employer’s physician is low.
11. Contact an attorney if you have any questions regarding your rights under the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Act. You DO NOT have to pay attorneys’ fees until a recovery is made. We offer FREE consultations on all worker’s compensation cases.

WHAT NOT TO DO

1. Do not wait until after the weekend to report a Friday injury and do not wait until the next morning to report a late afternoon injury.
2. Do not assume the insurance company calculated your average weekly wage correctly when determining your weekly temporary total disability (TTD rate) amount. Many times, their calculations are low.
3. Do not settle your case completely for a “full and final sum” or under Section 15 until you have spoken to an attorney.
4. Do not bother the worker’s compensation insurance company every day with phone calls.
5. Do not let the nurse case manager from the insurance company tell the treating physician what treatment is best for you and/or when you should be returning to work. The nurse case manager is hired by the insurance company and has their best interests in mind.
6. Do not argue with or hang up on the insurance adjuster when discussing your case.
7. Do not skip any medical appointments as this could cause the insurance company to stop your weekly benefits.
8. Do not settle any auto accident claim or other injury claim before you settle your worker’s compensation claim if your injury work arose from an “on the job” car accident or was caused by a third party not associated with your employer.
9. Do not discuss any aspect of your case on Facebook or any other computer website.
10. Do not work or play outside of any physician-prescribed restrictions during your recovery. The insurance company may be watching you.
11. Do not hesitate to contact our office with any other questions regarding your worker’s compensation case. We are happy to answer any questions you may have regarding your case.

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