UPDATED MAY 9, 2018
Under the law in New Jersey, if you injure yourself at work, your employer must provide medical treatment to cure the effects of that injury. So, if you hurt yourself while at work, report it to somebody in a supervisory position immediately and ask that person to provide you with the name and address of a local doctor. Make sure you know the name and title of the person you report your injury to and if a written report is made, ask for a copy of it.
If you are seriously injured and need immediate medical attention go to the nearest emergency room and report your injury to your employer as soon as you and medically stable. Make sure you advise the doctors at the hospital that you injured yourself at work.
If your employer refuses to give you the name of a doctor or gives you the “run around” keep asking for a doctor, but, also, consult an attorney as soon as possible because while there is no specific time period in which you must start your medical treatment, if you wait too long, it might be too late for the doctor to cure the effects of your injury or the doctor might be unable to determine the original cause of your injury.
By Chris Hoskey, Esq.