Under Massachusetts law, all businesses operating within the state are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. The primary purpose of this insurance is to protect injured workers. Those who have been injured on the job in Massachusetts can recover compensation for their lost income as well as medical benefits. A wide variety of different injuries qualify for workers’ compensation. Indeed, if your injury, illness, or medical condition has a workplace connection, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits in Massachusetts.

Does Your Injury Qualify?

Work injuries can take a seemingly endless number of forms. As such, the state of Massachusetts defines ‘injury’ very broadly in this context. More specifically, this means that you may be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits if you have:

  • A physical injury that was caused by a one time accident, such as a broken bone, a burn, a laceration or a torn ligament;
  • A long-term repetitive stress injury (RSI) caused by work-related degradation, such as back damage or carpal tunnel syndrome;
  • An occupational disease or disorder, such as work-caused cancer; or
  • A work caused psychological injury.

Of course, in order to obtain workers’ compensation benefits, you will need supporting medical evidence that proves the existence and severity of your damages. Beyond proving that your injury exists, you must also be able to prove that it actually happened at work. While this may sound simple, it can actually be quite challenging in many cases. If there is a dispute regarding whether or not your injury took place within the course and scope of your employment, you should seek immediate legal assistance.

To Qualify, You Need to Take Action

Unfortunately, in far too many cases, injured employees lose out on their workers’ compensation eligibility simply because they fail to take action early on in the claims process. The best way to protect yourself is to act. You should always do the following three things:

  1. First and foremost, you need to seek professional medical attention. While seeing the doctor, be sure to let him or her know that your condition is work-related.
  2. Next, be sure to tell your immediate supervisor that you were injured. You have a legal obligation under state law to report your injury to your employer.
  3. Finally, you should be sure that your employer has notified the insurance company as to your injury. In the weeks after your injury, you are supposed receive an official claim number from insurance company. If you have not received this number, or if your workers’ compensation claim has been denied, you need to hire an experienced Boston workers’ compensation lawyer immediately.

Our Boston Workers’ Compensation Team Can Help

If you were injured on the job, please contact Fitzpatrick & Associates today. Our team has more than 15 years of experience successfully handling Massachusetts workers’ compensation claims. To request your free initial legal consultation, give us a call today at 617-825-0965. We represent injured workers throughout the Greater Boston area, including in Cambridge, Brookline and Newton.