Workers Compensation in Albuquerque, NM
You aren’t alone if you wonder how workers’ compensation works.
Workers’ compensation is insurance that provides wage and medical benefits to people who have become ill or injured while at work. How far this coverage goes depends on New Mexico state law.
If your injury or illness is eligible for compensation, the insurance carrier should help ease the financial burden.
Learn some of the basic principles of New Mexico workers’ compensation insurance and how the process works.
Workers Compensation Statistics in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
Slips, falls, overexertion, repetitive motion injuries, and auto accidents are the most common workplace injuries suffered in Albuquerque. In New Mexico, transportation, construction, retail, and manufacturing are the industries where injuries are the most common. The City of Albuquerque actively encourages all citizens to report potential hazards and risks to save lives and money. Primarily, this is because a medically consulted injury has an average cost of nearly $39,000 per year.
How Does Workers Comp Work in Albuquerque, New Mexico?
There is a standard practice to follow when going through the New Mexico workers’ compensation process.
The circumstances surrounding the incident that led to the injury are crucial. The injury had to occur during your regular work duties.
According to The New Mexico State Workers’ Compensation Administration, all businesses with 3 or more employees must carry workers’ compensation insurance. Benefits entitle a worker to medical care, as well as wage replacement if you are unable to return to work. You can qualify for mental health benefits. However, only if you can prove that you suffer from substantial harm that you can directly link to work.
For example, say your supervisor asked you to drop something off on your lunch break. While running this errand you then get in a car accident on your way to the destination. Any resulting injury is eligible for workers’ compensation. However, if you are on your lunch break, performing no such task when you get in an accident, it does not qualify for a claim.
The steps you take immediately following a workplace incident in New Mexico are critical for filing a claim. Follow the following steps to preserve your rights and learn how workers comp works.
Get Medical Attention
After you get injured or feel ill, the first step is to see a doctor. Don’t delay receiving help from a New Mexico healthcare professional. Taking too long could not only jeopardize your health, but you run the risk of missing deadlines.
Even if you believe your injury is minor, get a proper medical report detailing the extent of the damage and how it occurred. This step is the top priority in the workers’ compensation claim process. Otherwise, your employer cannot file a claim with the insurance carrier.
You may have regular checkups and testing for weeks or months before a doctor finally connects your illness with your job. Your medical records will become the foundation from which the workers’ comp carrier will launch its investigation.
Generally, your doctor determines if the illness happened because of your work conditions or became aggravated by them. Once they do, see your human resources representative to file a workers’ compensation claim.
File a First Report of Injury
Once you have a medical diagnosis relating your illness or injury to your job, you must file a claim with your employer.
In Albuquerque, sooner is better than later when filing. Report your injury to your employer both verbally, and in written form. This can protect you later if there is a dispute about where the injury took place. You should seek medical treatment, and obtain two copies of the doctor’s report. Keep one copy for yourself and submit one copy to your employer when you file your injury report. Seeking medical care and filing quickly lessens the chance of medical conditions worsening, and saves money and recovery time.
Timeline and Other Information
Your employer is required to submit your claim to their insurance company within 72 hours of filing. When you or your employer submit your claim, the insurer has 10 working days to inform you if they have approved or denied the claim. In New Mexico, temporary disability allows for benefits up to 700 weeks. Permanent disability allows for a lifetime of benefits.
Your employer should furnish you with information about the claims process. The adjuster or insurance carrier representative may want to speak to you at some point about the incident and any possible witnesses to the event. In the meantime, the workers’ comp insurer may begin paying medical benefits while the investigation into your claim continues.
Why You Should Hire an Albuquerque, New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
While workers’ compensation claims may be straightforward for some cases in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in others it may be more difficult. It’s also common for a company to question the full extent of your injury. Hiring a Albuquerque workers’ comp lawyer ensures that you have an advocate to fight for your rights as a victim.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer In Albuquerque, New Mexico
If you are hurt or contract an illness as a result of your job in Albuquerque, NM you need to find the right people to help. Since the workers’ compensation claims process can have pitfalls, you should consider getting a local attorney who knows how to avoid them.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations.
