If you are injured while you are at your place of employment, you are likely covered under workers comp. Workers’ compensation is not based on negligence or fault. That means that regardless of who is to blame for an accident, under most circumstances an employee is still eligible to collect for lost wages and medical bills resulting from a work-related injury. However, the state of Missouri does have stipulations in place in order for you to receive benefits.

What Do You Need to Prove to Collect Workers’ Compensation?

The first thing that an employee has to prove is that their injury happened not just at the workplace but as a result of doing something that is required under their job description. The best way to prove that your injury was work-related is to let your boss or supervisor know immediately that you have been hurt. After making them aware, you will want to seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you delay going to see a medical professional, that can give the insurance company reason to question whether the injury was work-related or not.

Once you have established that an accident happened at work and you have made your employer aware that you were hurt, you will have to show a diagnosis of your injury. The diagnosis will not only have to state that you were actually hurt but should also document the nature of your injury, along with the extent and severity.

If you can show that you were hurt at work and it was a result of performing your duties, then you can generally file for workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation insurance is generally required to pay for an employee’s medical bills and their lost wages for the time that they are not able to work. The coverage provides benefits like temporary and permanent disability, depending on what an employee requires to heal and get back to work.

Who Pays for the Initial Costs?

When you seek medical care and you have medical insurance, then it is possible to have your insurance pay for the initial visit and then seek reimbursement after the fact. Your insurance company will seek reimbursement for your medical costs from the workers’ compensation insurance. When you seek medical attention, make sure to tell the healthcare facility that it was the result of an injury at work, so that everything is documented properly.

If you can’t pay for your medical care because you don’t have insurance, you can ask your place of employment to contact their workers’ compensation insurance company to find out where you can go to seek medical care and have it paid for. They will have the necessary information to guide you so that you get the treatment you need.

If you are having a hard time getting reimbursed for your medical bills and you were injured at work, it is important to speak with an experienced workers comp attorney as soon as possible.