What if My Employer Wants Me to Say I was Injured at Home Instead of at Work?

Ft. Collins Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation Lawyers for Larimer County

When you are seriously injured in a workplace accident, it is important to seek immediate medical care and complete an official accident report with your employer. These steps are essential when you have to file a workers' compensation claim to receive benefits compensation for medical care and lost work hours.

But what if your employer asks you to lie about your injury, and tells you they will cover the costs?

At Hoggatt Law Office, P.C., we represent employees injured in workplace accidents, including those in the oil and gas, construction, and trucking industries. If you were injured on the job, and your employer does not have sufficient workers' comp insurance or has asked you to falsify an injury claim, contact our experienced injury attorneys immediately.

Workers' Comp Claims in Colorado

On occasion, an employer will try to get an employee to say their injury did not occur on company property or during the execution of tasks related to their job. This is often attempted by employers who have failed in their legal duty to carry a workers' compensation policy for their employees. In Colorado, all private and public employers (with extremely limited exceptions) are required to provide workers' comp coverage if they have one or more part-time or full-time employee(s). By law, any individual hired to work for pay is considered an employee, including elected or appointed public sector services and those hired by private employers.

If your employer told you to misrepresent your injury and not file it as work-related, and that they would pay for your medical bills, do not follow that course of action. If you do, they may pay for your first few doctor visits, but if the severity of your injury necessitates extensive care that results in substantial medical costs, they will likely stop payment altogether. If you do not initially report your injury as a workers' comp claim, the probability that you will successfully file a claim after stating your injuries occurred elsewhere is virtually zero.

It is not uncommon for workers, especially in high-risk industries, to wonder if they can be fired for getting hurt on the job. Federal law disallows this type of retaliation. No employer can terminate a worker's employment because of a workplace injury. You are still a regular employee while you collect workers' comp benefits and during your recovery, so you can be laid off if employment cuts are made, but you cannot lose your job because of the injury. If you feel like your employer has violated this protocol, Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. is ready to fight for you.

Contact a Fort Collins Workers' Comp Attorney

If you were injured in a workplace accident, and your employer does not have workers' comp insurance, Hoggatt Law Office, P.C. will pursue legal action to get the compensation you deserve. Contact us at 970-225-2190 today for a free consultation. We also serve Loveland, Windsor, Greeley, Weld County, Longmont, Boulder, and Boulder County.