If you were injured or became ill while working at Petco, you should be able to claim workers’ compensation. Compensation can help pay for unexpected medical treatment and part of your wages that might be lost while not being able to work.

The steps below outline how to ensure you get the correct workers’ comp. payments after being injured at work or becoming ill because of your job.

Step 1: Seek Medical Attention

Without medical evidence of your injury or illness, you may not be able to obtain workers’ compensation payments. Make sure that as soon as possible after your accident or becoming ill, you:

• seek appropriate medical attention;
• ask a doctor to assess your injury or illness and advise you about further treatment;
• make sure you get a report from the doctor outlining the diagnosis and necessary treatment;
• you get a doctor’s report that will need to confirm that you should avoid returning to work until your injury or illness has been treated sufficiently and your health has recovered;
• obtain documentation that proves you have had to have medical treatment because of your workplace injury or illness.

Step 2: Notify your employer

Your employer needs to be informed of your workplace injury or illness and absence from work to be treated and recover. Your employer also needs to report the workplace incident to the state workers’ compensation board.

Remember to:

• report your injury to your supervisor, manager, HR, or directly to your employer as soon as you can after the event;
• make sure that your employer records the injury or illness in its accident logbook, as this will be needed to confirm the date of absence of work for workers’ comp. payments to be paid from.

Step 3: Gather evidence and keep any medical documentation

Each injury or illness at work is unique, but you will need to have evidence that it definitely occurred at your workplace. You should obtain suitable evidence that it was a genuine workplace injury or illness, such as statements from work colleagues, photos of the accident site, etc.

You also need documentary evidence of your medical treatment and prognosis for recovery, as well as evidence of payments you have had to make which are associated with your injury or illness.

Step 4: File a claim

Once you have obtained medical treatment and notified your employer of the workplace injury or illness, you will then be in a position to file a workers’ compensation claim. The actual procedure varies somewhat from state to state. In some states, it is the employer who files the claim. In other states, you need to do that yourself.

Note that each state also has its own statute of limitations, which limits when your claim can be filed. A commonly used cap on claims is two to three years from the date of the accident or injury.

Step 5: Consult with a workers’ compensation attorney

A workers’ comp. attorney can help with many aspects of your claim, and may be necessary if your claim is initially denied and you need to appeal. An attorney can help to:

• explain the complexities of worker compensation law and ensure your rights are protected;
• gather evidence and help you to build your case;
• help avoid common mistakes;
• negotiate on your behalf to ensure a fair settlement;
• reduce stress and help manage paperwork.

Fill out the Free Case Evaluation to get connected with an independent attorney who subscribes to the website and may be able to help you with your case.

*Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against Petco, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.