If you are one of the many people in Louisiana or other parts of the South who work on vessels in the Mississippi river or other regional waterways, you know that your line of work can be quite dangerous at times. It is important for you to be aware of the programs designed to help you should you be involved in a work-related accident or become sick due to your job.
Occupational injuries and illnesses may qualify for benefits
As explained by the U.S. Department of Labor, both injuries and illnesses related to your employment may provide you the ability to claim workers’ compensation benefits should you be unable to work due to the injury or illness.
Filing your claim
If you are hurt on the job, you should file a Notice of Employee’s Injury or Death, also called Form LS-201, within 30 days of the incident to initiate your workers’ compensation claim. If you are diagnosed with an occupational disease, you will file the same form and should do so within 30 days of learning about your illness and its connection to your work.
If you do not file the Form LS-201 within the 30-day window, your claim may be denied unless you can prove good reason for a delay in filing the notice.
If you would like to learn more about your rights to workers’ compensation assistance after you have been injured or developed an illness due to your employment, please feel free to visit the financial benefits and claims page of our Louisiana maritime workers’ compensation website.
