Whether you are an employer or an employee, there are a few critical things that you should know about worker's compensation. Here are some things to keep in mind. 

Worker's Compensation Claims Are Everyone's Responsibility

If an injury occurs, the reporting for the injury doesn't fall solely on the employer or the employee. An employee should report the injury right away to a boss. The employer should then file a worker's compensation claim and return an incident report to the employee to fill out. Both parties need to follow up on the work the other is doing; for instance, the employee should check in to make sure that the claim was filed and the employer should check on the progress of the paperwork. By keeping clear lines of communication, both parties can streamline the claim for one another. 

Employers Should Communicate about Care Providers (And Employees Should Listen)

To make sure that the claim goes through successfully, it's important for employers to give their employee information about the types of health care providers that are covered under the plan. Depending on your insurance carrier, they may even have a specific list of health care providers that are eligible. Or, they may have a list of approved types of specialists for a specific injury. Either way, this information should be passed to employees, who would do well to pay attention. If they accidentally visit a care provider that's not covered, the expenses may be taken directly out of pocket. 

Insurance Claims are No Fault

Another thing to keep in mind is that a worker's compensation claim is generally no fault; there is no need to prove what happened in the injury. Generally, the claims are resolved pretty fairly because the payout limits are set by the State, and the extent of the disability will be determined by a third party doctor. However, should a dispute arise about the injury, it's best to speak with a worker's compensation lawyer, such as Dennis Kenny Attorney, early on. These lawyers can help to make the process less personal for both sides by helping to evaluate what's fair.

If everyone is well informed about what a worker's compensation plan is and isn't, it can help to prevent hard feelings and time-wasting confusion. Employers can help to make this information available by speaking with employees when they join the company, training staff periodically, or including good information in their employee handbook.