If you are injured at work, it’s crucial to report the incident as soon as possible. Doing so makes it easier to seek workers’ compensation if the accident occurred due to your employer’s negligence. However, it is not always feasible to report the matter quickly, which raises an important question: What is the legal time frame for informing an employer of a work injury? Below, the Law Office of Thomas L. Brayton III in Waterbury, CT, sheds light on this important topic.

A Guide to Reporting Workplace Injuries

Specific Injuries

This term refers to one-time incidents such as a slip and fall due to a wet floor or falling off a ladder and sustaining a traumatic brain injury. If this describes your situation, you have one year from the date of the incident to report it to your employer. This window of time gives you the opportunity to recover before taking action.

Repetitive Trauma Injuries

Not all people who are injured at work experience a single event that causes physical harm. Some injuries develop slowly due to the repetitive actions required by certain jobs. These motions gradually cause trauma that increases as the days, weeks, months, or even years pass. A prime example of a repetitive trauma injury is carpal tunnel syndrome, which can start out as mere discomfort in the wrist that eventually becomes debilitating. Since these injuries take a long time to emerge, Connecticut law gives you two years to report them to an employer.

If you are injured at work, there’s no reason to pursue workers' compensation alone. The Law Office of Thomas L. Brayton III provides valuable legal guidance that increases the likelihood of obtaining a favorable outcome. Attorney Brayton was named a 2017 AV Preeminent Attorney due to the effectiveness of his services. Call (203) 591-8689 to schedule a consultation, and visit the firm online to learn more about your options.