If you are a police officer in New York, then you are probably exposed to numerous dangerous situations on a daily basis. In fact, you may have been harmed in pursuit of a criminal or while chasing an offender. If you have been injured in any way, then you have the responsibility to report your injury immediately. Report to your supervisor and make sure that he or she reports the injury online as soon as possible. As well, if you are an injured officer you need to seek treatment almost immediately. You will want a medical professional to inform you of your condition and write up the necessary documents to prove your ailments. Even if you are not sure how you are going to afford the costs associated with your injuries, you should still get the assistance necessary.
After you have visited a doctor, you will want a doctor’s note which will declare that you are diagnosed with a certain ailment or injury. The note will also contain details about when you should be able to return to work. Because a doctor will determine the amount of time you need for a healthy recovery, you may be able to obtain damages for the lost wages you need to sacrifice in order to have a healthy recovery. You also need to call your supervisor after every medical visit so that he or she can keep a record of the times that you have been to the physician and understand when your potential return-to-work date is.
If you follow all of these instructions, then chances are that the police department will be required to pay for your medical bills and prescriptions. In addition, you may be able to waive any copayments, and the establishment will cover every expense in relation to the accident. You may also be able to receive reimbursement for treatment-related travel. This means that you can get money to cover the gas expenses to and from the medical care provider appointments. This is especially helpful for men and women who have to drive a significant distance to visit their physician. You can also receive compensation for your lost work time.
If you continue working after your injury, but need to go to your appointments within normal working hours, then you can also receive compensation for these missed hours. If you never fully recover from your injury, then you may qualify for permanency benefits from the police department. You can also open a file claim with your state if you deem it necessary. Most states have a time limit on when these claims can be filed. After you determine how much time you have to file the claim, you can write up a worker’s compensation claim with the help of a skilled lawyer at Katz, Leidman, Freund & Herman.