There are many questions and concerns a person might have shortly after being injured. An injured worker is and should be worried about their well-being and finding out what is currently affecting them but other thoughts are prevalent too. An injured Pennsylvania worker might start immediately worrying about what happens if they can’t work and cannot earn money like they were, or, even worse, if they might lose their job if they report the injury. The first thing an injured worker must do is to report their injury promptly and to their supervisor.  

The supervisor may be your shift leader, your store manager, or your production supervisor. The key is that you must seek out the person to whom you normally report, or someone above that person, and make sure they know that you’ve suffered a work injury. That person must then make sure that your injury is reported to the appropriate people.  If you’ve reported your injury but have heard nothing, you might want to check in again. Even if you have to go to the Manager of the entire operation, it is important to make sure that you’ve reported your injury, that it’s been documented, and that the workers’ compensation insurance company has been alerted.

Additionally, it is key that you tell the employer/manager/supervisor that you’ve suffered a work injury and you should inquire about workers’ compensation insurance and where and with whom you should treat medically. Often times, an injured worker will say, “my back hurts” or “I don’t feel well”. This is not enough. A worker should report that there is a work-related injury to be safe.  

No matter what your concerns might be after suffering a work-related injury, make sure you quickly and fully report your injury.  It may be the difference in you collecting benefits or not.