April 14, 2025
“Look out!” your coworker yells as the loaded pallet falls towards you. You feel a sharp pain as it lands on your leg and your ankle breaks. You have suffered a work injury. You never thought it would happen to you. What do you do now?!
Work injuries are terrible for so many reasons. You are in pain. Your managers are panicked because they could get in trouble. No one knows what to do. Here are the three most common mistakes injured workers make when suffering a work injury:
Many employees are afraid to file a workers’ compensation claim because they fear for their jobs. They worry that if they file a claim, the employer will harass, or worse, fire them. Employers frequently discourage people from filing workers’ compensation claims because they fear it will be expensive.
However, if you’re wondering, ‘should I file workers’ comp,’ know that failing to report your injury at work is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. First, falsely claiming an injury didn’t occur at work is insurance fraud. More than a few injured workers have learned that the hard way.
Second, the workers’ compensation system is great for workers. It ensures injured workers receive lost wages while recovering, covers the cost of all required medical treatment, and provides a lump sum payment once they’ve healed. You should always file.
Lastly, the worker should rest assured that they are protected from reprisal under Ohio law. Retaliating against a worker for suffering a work injury or filing a workers’ compensation claim is unlawful and the Hurm Law Firm has forced several employers to reverse their decision to fire a work injury victim. We protect workers, their families, and their jobs.
Injured workers have the right to use the doctor of their choice to treat their work injury. But frequently, employer managers will recommend certain doctors to their workers. As you might expect, those doctors recommended by your boss are often employer-biased—and they can and frequently do significant damage to your workers’ compensation claim.
Employer-biased doctors offices will understate the work injury and try to rush you back to work before you are ready. One example was when a laborer in Warren, OH fell out of a tree and injured his foot. He was first sent to an employer-biased doctor by his boss, who said he could return to work in three days. Then he reached out to the Hurm Law Firm. Our office sent him to a doctor that was not employer-biased, but a foot specialist. That doctor did an X-ray and found three broken bones in his heel and ankle.
If that worker hadn’t reached out to the Hurm Law Firm, he would have returned to work on three broken bones and suffered disastrous nerve damage which could have caused lifelong issues. Fortunately, that was avoided.
Wondering “what are you allowed to do while on workers’ comp?” One thing you are absolutely allowed to do is seek a second medical opinion. You don’t even have to hire the Hurm Law Firm to get a free recommendation to a local doctor’s office in your area. Don’t hesitate to call the Hurm Law Firm at (216) 860-1922 for your free referral.
Is it bad to file a workers’ comp claim without an attorney? We are a law firm. Of course, we think you should hire an attorney. However, we have a good reason to think so. Look at the facts – Employers handle workers’ compensation claims regularly and know how to navigate the process. They have paid experts and attorneys they can rely on for advice.
You have probably never experienced a work injury before. You have rarely or never interacted with the workers’ compensation system. From navigating what not to do while on workers’ comp to understanding your rights when you file a workers’ compensation claim, we can help you every step of the way.
The system is so complex that many injured workers miss out on the benefits they deserve. Did you know the Ohio workers’ compensation system has issued tens of millions of refunds to employers because injured workers have not received all the benefits they are owed? This is commonly due to injured workers failing to file claims or because they don’t know how to operate in the incredibly complicated system. Almost every injured worker that has ever filed a claim should receive a lump sum payment, called a permanent partial disability payment, after they have recovered from their injury. But the system frequently doesn’t alert injured workers who have not secured attorneys, and very few receive that benefit. These poor workers are potentially left without thousands of dollars they are rightfully owed.
The workers’ compensation system is as complicated as it is important. Protect your job, protect your family, and protect yourself by hiring the Hurm Law Firm today. We’ll help you avoid common workers’ comp deposition mistakes and get the most out of your claim. To schedule a free consultation, call (216) 860-1922.
Address: 135 Southwood Road, Akron, OH
Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Phone: (216) 860-1922 | Fax: (216) 820-4347