REPORT the accident to your employer, even if you think you are not seriously hurt. By reporting the accident you protect yourself against the employer who might claim that you were injured away from the workplace. If possible, report the accident in writing or in the presence of a reliable witness.

All workplace injuries should be reported to your employer as soon as possible. Many employers, however, require accident reports to be filed within 24 hours. The legal requirement for reporting is within 120 days from the date of the injury. If you report within 21 days, your workers’ compensation will begin from the date you were injured. If not, workers’ compensation will begin from the date you gave notice, as long as it is within the 120 days from the date you were injured. However, the more time passes, the less likely coverage will be provided for an injury. Reporting may be written or verbal to a supervisor, although having documentation of the report of injury is highly recommended.

Therefore, any incident, no matter how trivial or uneventful, should be reported immediately through the filing of an accident report, even if medical treatment is not immediately needed.  When in doubt, it is better to file immediately for an incident rather than to wait to see if a minor injury will resolve itself or worsen.