How to File Your Virginia Workers’ Compensation Claim Online

Work is meant to enrich our lives, enable us to provide for our families and allow us to develop our talents. Unfortunately, sometimes the job people perform causes them to become sick or injured. When you’re hurt on the job, you can turn to a Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney who will help you understand the filing process.

Traditionally, injured workers who were hurt on the job have applied for Workers’ Compensation using paper forms, but the Internet has made it easier to apply for benefits from home. This is a convenient method to use for those whose injuries make leaving home difficult. A Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney can help you navigate filing online.

To apply for Workers’ Compensation online after you have been hurt on the job, you need to follow a series of steps, just like you would if you were applying in person. Much of the process of applying is the same as it would be in person; the only difference is how the forms themselves are filled out and submitted.

How to File for Workers’ Compensation

• As soon as you are aware of your injury, you should report it to your employer. You can ask your employer to provide you with the information for the company’s Workers’ Compensation insurance carrier. Information of this type should generally also be found posted in clear sight at your place of business.
• Secondly, you should seek treatment from a doctor. A doctor will determine what your injuries are and be able to prescribe a course of treatment. He or she will also decide how much time you need away from work. According to Virginia law, the doctor you choose has to be from a list provided for you by your employer or by the employer’s Workers’ Compensation insurance company.
• You should aware that the time window for filing for Workers’ Compensation is two years from the time you were hurt on the job (or from the time the injury is discovered). It’s important to act quickly while the evidence of damage is still fresh; for certain conditions, it can be more difficult to make a diagnosis after a long period of time has gone by.
• Before filing for Workers’ Compensation online, you will also need to gather the appropriate documentation and information. To aid you in this endeavor, hiring a Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney is best. You will need to be able to provide your employer’s contact information, medical records and other important paperwork.  You will need to describe the details of how you were hurt on the job and the related injuries or illness. It can be helpful to have kept a diary of your illness and recovery process.
• When filing for Workers’ Compensation online, you will need to go to the website for the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission. There, you will find detailed instructions on how to fill out the appropriate forms and file. Before you file, you should consider consulting a Richmond workers compensation attorney.

Filing for Workers’ Compensation can be a complicated process, and many injured workers do not realize what they will need until the process is underway. There are very specific things that need to be done in order to increase the chance that your claim will be accepted after you were hurt on the job. A Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney knows exactly what these steps are.

People who have been injured at work can suffer long-term chronic pain, income loss and mental duress. They should have the ability to pursue reasonable compensation with the help of a Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney who can guide them and represent their best interests.

The insurance company for the employer is loyal to the employer, and because of this, they may be more interested in protecting the company’s best interests rather than the interests of the injured person. Having a Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney on your side can help you receive fair treatment and get the compensation you’re entitled to.

Once your claim is submitted, the insurance company will review it and make a decision on it. They may fully accept or fully reject your claim, or they may accept parts of the claim. They will provide a written explanation of their decision. If your claim is rejected, you can appeal the decision with the help of a Richmond Workers’ Compensation attorney.