Work Place Injury – Often, New Hampshire employees delay reporting to their employers that they have suffered a workplace injury. For example, an employee may suffer shooting back pain while lifting a heavy object at work. The pain is blinding at first, but then it lessens, so the employee continues working, completing his shift. Employees often neglect to report the injury even the day that it happens, thinking that the pain will go away after they go home and rest.
While working through the pain instead of promptly reporting the workplace injury may reflect an admirable work ethic, an employee’s delay in reporting an injury increases the risk that the employee’s workers’ compensation claim will be denied. Employees who delay reporting a workplace injury invariably face questions about why they did not report the injury when they suffered it, and what activities they have performed outside the workplace since the injury date that may have caused the injury.
Complete an Employer’s First Report of Injury Form
If you suffer an injury in the workplace, don’t be a hero. Report the injury to your employer promptly. This should lead to you and your employer completing a New Hampshire Department of Labor Form 8WC (an “Employer’s First Report of Injury” form), which the employer must submit to both the New Hampshire Department of Labor and the employer’s workers’ compensation carrier within 5 days.
If you need assistance with a workers’ compensation issue, you should contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney such as Benjamin T. King, Esquire, at Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C.. Attorney King is listed in Best Lawyers in America for representing injured employees in workers’ compensation claims. Attorney King can be reached at (603) 288-1403 or fill out our online contact form.