Under Kansas law, an injured worker must meet specific requirements in order to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. One of these requirements concerns time limits for reporting accidents to your employer.
If you have been injured in a workplace accident, it is extremely important that you make the deadline for reporting the accident and resulting injuries: if you miss it, you will be completely barred from receiving benefits!
You should know that a new Kansas law requires injured workers to report an on-the-job accident before the following deadlines:
- 20 days after the accident or injury by repetitive trauma
- 20 days after seeking medical treatment for an accident-related injury
- 10 days after the last day of employment (if the employee does not work for the employer anymore)
These deadlines are a full ten days shorter than the previous ones. This law was approved by the governor in April and is now in effect.
At Lee Gurney, we see too many workers miss this deadline because they were unaware of it or because they waited to see if their injury would get worse. Don’t delay: when you are injured, seek medical treatment immediately. Make sure your doctor knows that the injury occurred as a result of a workplace accident. As soon as you can, report the accident and any injuries to your employer.
It’s also important to note that you must report the accident to the right person. If your employer has let you know in writing that you are supposed to notify a specific person of any accidents, you must report the accident to that person. If no one in your company has been designated, you can notify your manager or supervisor. You can provide this notice orally or in writing. Your notice should include the following information:
- Date and time of accident
- Location of accident
- Person(s) injured
- The details of the injury (or injuries)
For more information about workers’ compensation requirements, visit the Kansas Department of Labor website or the department’s bulletin on Workers Compensation Rights and Responsibilities. If you have questions about your workers’ compensation claim, call Lee Gurney.