If you are injured at your job in Montana, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits to pay your medical bills and your wages while you are off work recovering from your injuries. Montana’s workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, which means that you could be entitled to benefits regardless of who caused your accident or occupational illness. However, you need to take certain steps to protect your rights to these benefits.
Steps You Should Take Following a Workplace Accident in Montana
You need to take steps soon after your accident to fulfill your duties under Montana’s workers’ compensation laws and to strengthen your claim if there a dispute with your employer’s insurance company—which frequently happens. Here are crucial first steps that you should take:
- Seek immediate medical care. If you know that you suffered an injury, you should seek immediate medical care to protect your health. Even if you do not believe that you were injured, you should be examined by a doctor promptly because some symptoms of injuries can take days or longer to develop.
- Report your injuries. You are required to report your workplace injuries to your supervisor within 30 days. While you can report it orally, it is best to do so in a written notice or email. You should provide as many details as possible. Keep a copy of the notice for your records. The sooner that you notify your supervisor of your accident and injuries, the stronger your workers’ compensation claim will be.
- File your claim. In order to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you must complete a First Report of Injury (FROI) and file it with your workers’ compensation insurance company or the Department of Labor and Industry. It must be written, signed, and filed within one year of an injury or illness. The insurer must decide whether to accept or deny your claim within 30 days of receipt of it.
- Retain an experienced attorney. To ensure that you comply with Montana’s workers’ compensation laws and receive the benefits that you deserve, you should retain an experienced workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible. He can advise you of your rights and negotiate your settlement with your employer’s worker’s compensation insurance company.
Did you suffer serious injuries or occupational illness at your job? Attorney Lucas Foust at the Foust Law Office is here to answer your questions about your rights and guide you through the process of filing your claim. To get started, fill out our online form to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.