Workers' compensation is something that you may likely be entitled to after an event that leaves you hurt and at home instead of on the job. However, there are some common missteps that could cause you to miss out on the benefits you think you deserve. The errors below could mean trouble for your claim, so be aware of them and take appropriate action.

Believing Your Co-workers

Your co-workers might have a lot of advice about how you should handle your injuries and the workers' compensation process. They might have had an injury years ago or they may know someone who filed a claim a few months back. In their efforts to help you, they could inadvertently pass on information about the situation that isn't quite right; using the advice of these people can cause you to miss deadlines, fill out paperwork incompletely and continue to make mistakes that you could have avoided.

Instead, be sure that you're only talking with agents at your company's insurance company or your company's Human Resources personnel. They will be able to better point out what's required and how you can be sure that your claim is processed properly.

Ignoring Deadlines

You might imagine that your company's insurance carrier will be mindful of the fact that you suffered some injuries and give you enough time to move forward with your claim. However, it's vital that you do everything possible to meet the deadlines in place; you might even want to aim for a date sooner than the deadline, so that if there are any delays in obtaining paperwork, you can still get it in in time.

Gossiping

Talking about your injuries and what happened could get you into trouble. If you talk to co-workers about the situation, insurance investigators may be able to glean inconsistencies in your story by talking to those you work with. This is especially true if you are posting online and using social media. Investigators working for the company's insurance carrier can check out what you're posting or talk to those with access to your profiles in an effort to discredit you. Be very careful about what you say and to whom during this period.

Avoiding the missteps listed above can help you to have a solid workers' compensation claim. Just be sure to keep working with a competent workers' compensation attorney so you're able to do everything that must be done so that you can receive the benefits you're eligible for.