You tripped and fell at work, but you didn’t think much of it at the time. Yes, you hit your head, and you felt a little dizzy, but you thought it would pass. Hours later, you go home and find your family pointing out that you aren’t acting like yourself. They tell you to go to the emergency room after hearing about your workplace accident.
You headed to the emergency room and got the news that you had suffered a concussion. Now, you have to miss a week or two of work and need to have several more medical checkups. You think you have to cover this medical bill, too, since you didn’t go to the doctor on your workers’ compensation plan. Do you?
Who covers emergency room visits after a workplace accident?
Regardless of whether you go to the emergency room or urgent care from work or after work, it’s likely workers’ compensation’s job to cover your costs. You generally should not have to pay for an emergency room visit related to a workplace injury.
Remember, you do need to report your injury to your employer. You should report it as soon as possible. If he or she did not know you got hurt at work, contact him or her as soon as you can before or after your trip to the emergency room.
Do you have to pay for prescriptions or follow-up visits?
Typically, no. In most instances, medical care related a workplace injury should be covered by workers’ compensation. If your employer is claiming that you can’t seek compensation, that’s a situation in which you may wish to look for legal help. Workers’ compensation is there to cover your medical costs so long as they are related to a workplace injury.
