|
The Seven Deadly Sins of Worker's Compensation Every State has its own Worker's Compensation Program, and some of us who work in, on, or over the water are covered by the Longshore and Harbor Worker's Act. Each program is different, but the pitfalls listed below should be avoided no matter where you work. 1. Do Not Fail to Report: Report the accident to your supervisor (if the boss doesn't write it down, you put it in writing), report it to L&I (with an accident report form from the Doctor, or if Self Insured, from your employer), and call the Council at 877-745-9555, Gary Fasso will return your call and go over the next steps. Even minor injuries need to be documented. Sure, it's nothing now- but tomorrow morning when it's killing you… you'll regret not reporting. 2. Do Not Walk it Off: We play tough guy and say: "Ah, it's nothin', I've had worse." But you are not a doctor. Your boss is not a doctor. This is not a Softball game: this is your career, your health, your quality of life. Get it looked at- get it fixed. 3. Do Not Disobey/Lie to Your Doctor: Leave plumbing to the Plumbers, wiring to the Electricians- respect your Doctor's jurisdiction as well- and don't try to get back into the game before you are cleared by your Attending Physician. Five years from now you won't care about how soon you got back to work; what will matter down the road is how well you have healed. 4. Do Not File with Carpenter's Trust: Our Health Care plan is not a policy to cover the employer, it's for your family. To compel you to file with the Trust (or not report at all) is Claim Suppression- call Gary. To actually do so is Insurance Fraud. 5. Do Not Ignore/recycle Paperwork: Though it may seem as though you are being buried in paperwork- read and file everything they send you relating to your claim. Recycling is good, but that poor tree gave its life for your claim; let's memorialize it by keeping your paperwork and filing it in the order it was received. 6. Do Not Miss Deadlines: The folks at these agencies are bureaucrats, they operate by strict rules and laws. We can play that game too, by paying attention and staying within their rules and laws. 7. Do Not Fake It: The Fraud Investigation and Compliance Divisions for these programs catch far more errant claims from workers than from companies. Don't put yourself in a situation where you will be forced to pay back money you have already spent to live on. Pain is Nature's way of telling you that you are hurt- but once your Doctor has done all she/he can do, the Department closes your claim, regardless of your pain. It doesn't seem fair, but there is no way for an agency to measure our pain other than our word- and they don't trust us. Apparently, workers have faked claims before- this casts suspicion upon all of us. As work slows down, as L&I revenues dry-up, scrutiny of claims increases. Contractors are especially wary of false claims in this economic climate. If you are injured call Gary Fasso at (toll free) 877-745-9555. |