Getting Hurt On The Job

When it comes to getting hurt on the job, that is something that none of us want to experience. Unfortunately, it happens to many people every year in Indiana. Whether you work a high-risk job like construction or a low-risk job in an office, there are plenty of ways to get hurt while you are working. Injury can make a major impact on your life, your home, and your family, and not for the better in most cases. Knowing your rights, your options, and your resources is essential in a potential crisis like this. So, if you need legal representation when it comes to your personal injury case, the team of attorneys at Cogswell and Associates are here for you when you need us. One call, one email is all that it takes to get the professional care and service that you need on your side to get your life back on track after your injury, give us a call today to get started on the road to getting your life back.

What Are My First Steps

While the details are not probably the first thing on your mind in the event of an injury on the job, keeping track of the particulars like date, time, location, and people present are paramount to ensuring that you get your needs taken care of after your injury. While it would be nice to think that your company has your best interests at heart, it never hurts to be diligent and prepared should the unforeseen happen. If injured on the job, it is just as important to notify your employer of the accident. In Indiana, the law necessitates that employers post the name, address, and telephone number of their particular workers’ compensation insurance provider in a public place such as a break room or common area for all to see. If you are having trouble finding the information, or the information is simply not there, call the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board (1-800-824-COMP). Don’t wait until after your accident to find this important information.

Filing the Right Forms

After your injury, there are several forms to be filed promptly with the appropriate source. The first of these forms is the SF 34401, or the first report of injury. This form contains important information about the individual injured, and the business worked for, carrier/claims administrator, and the injury. The second of these forms is the SF 1043, or “AGREEMENT TO COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEE & EMPLOYER.” While both of these forms are important, as well as the other forms required, it is important to obtain legal counsel before proceeding with or signing any forms presented by your employer if you believe that you are entitled to compensation from your place of work. If you have questions as to your eligibility, contact us to get an honest and straightforward answer as to your rights and responsibilities, as well as your employer’s.

Am I Eligible?

Getting injured on the job is one thing, eligibility is another. So, how do you know if you are eligible for compensation for your injury in the state of Indiana? Well, let’s just go over a few of the eligibility requirements to ensure that you are up to date on them. Your eligibility for workmen’s compensation starts from your first day on the job.
The following is a list of individuals that are covered by Indiana’s Worker’s Compensation and Occupational Disease Acts (WC Acts)

(defined as those who are under age 17 in Indiana); Unpaid participants under the federal School to Work Opportunities Act; An individual engaging in coal mining; Corporate officers (though they may opt out); and Employees working outside of the state.

Sadly, not everyone in the state is covered by these acts, but a list of those not is available below:

– Railroad employees engaged in train service
– Members of municipal corporations and fire and police departments (but municipalities may elect to purchase coverage for medical benefits)
– Casual laborers
– Farm and agricultural employees
– Household employees
– Part-time youth coaches who work for nonprofit corporations
– Real estate professionals
– Owner-operators providing a motor vehicle and driver services under a written contract
– Members and managers of a limited liability company (LLC)
– Independent contractors (as defined by IRS guidelines) and Members and managers of limited liability companies (LLCs)
Indiana Workers Compensation Eligibility

What is Compensatable

When it comes to on the job injuries and conditions, certain things are considered compensable. A list outlining what is, and is not compensable. Again if you have any questions when it comes to variants of this list, the team of Attorneys from Cogswell and Associates can answer your questions and help you get the compensation that you deserve for your injury/illness sustained while on the job.

– He or she sustained a disease
– There was a direct causal connection between the work and the disease
– The disease followed as a natural incident of the work
– The employment was the proximate cause of the disease
– The disease did not come from a hazard to which workers would have been equally exposed outside of the employment, and the disease was incidental to the character of the business and not independent of the relation of the employer and employee.
Indiana Workers Compensation Eligibility

A Friend In Your Time of Need

If you are injured on the job, you need a team of attorneys dedicated to your case to ensure that you get the compensation that you deserve to get your life back on track. Filing forms, meeting eligibility requirements, and many other hurdles stand in your way to getting your life back on track. If you have questions as to your eligibility, the team of attorneys at Cogswell and Associates can answer all of your questions as to your eligibility. Call and set up your consultation from there 317-671-8150 is the first number to call if you are injured on the job in Indiana.