Hurt at Work in New York: What to Do First

Quick answer: If you were hurt at work in New York, the Workers’ Compensation Board says to notify your employer, in writing if possible, within 30 days. You can file your own claim (Form C-3) any time within two years.

Except in an emergency, your care must come from a Board-authorized provider, and the Board lists chiropractors among them. If you work in or near Midtown Manhattan, here is what to do first.

This article summarizes the Board’s own pages. It is not legal advice.

What should you do right after a work injury?

Get emergency care if you need it. The Board says you can see any health care provider in an emergency.

If it is not an emergency, the Board says to see a Board-authorized provider. It offers a search tool on its website for finding one.

Then start a written record: the date, what happened, who saw it and what hurts.

How soon do you have to tell your employer?

The Board says to notify your employer, in writing if possible, within 30 days of your injury, or within 30 days of when your health care provider tells you work caused your condition.

It says a document or email is best, and to try to avoid text messages.

It also warns that if you fail to notify your employer within 30 days, you may lose your rights to workers’ compensation benefits.

How do you file a workers’ compensation claim?

You file an Employee Claim, Form C-3, with the Board. The Board says this is how you notify it of your injury.

The Board says you can file your claim any time within two years of the incident. It also says employers must report the incident, but filing your own claim is helpful.

If you injured the same body part before, the Board says you must also file a Limited Release of Health Information (Form C-3.3).

What are the key deadlines?

Step	Who	Deadline the Board gives
Notify your employer	You	Within 30 days, in writing if possible
File Employee Claim (Form C-3)	You	Within two years of the accident
Notify the insurance carrier	Your employer	Within 10 days, if you need treatment beyond first aid or lose at least a day of work
Dispute a claim	The insurer	Within 18 days after the disability begins, or 10 days after learning of the injury, whichever is later

Which providers can treat injured workers?

The Board says many types of providers can treat injured workers in the New York workers’ compensation system. It lists Board-authorized chiropractors among them.

Except for emergency cases, the Board says the provider who treats you must be authorized by the Board to treat injured workers.

Before your first visit, ask the office whether the provider is Board-authorized. At Nexus Spinal Care, call (302) 590-8218 and ask about your case.

What work injuries are common?

Strains, sprains and other musculoskeletal problems are common work injuries. Two that people often describe:

• Back strain: pain from overexerting the muscles or straining the ligaments, often from lifting.
• Repetitive strain: pain from the same movement repeated over months, at a desk or on a job site.

See our work injury care page for how a visit starts.

What should you write down for your visit?

• The date and place of the injury, and what you were doing.
• When you notified your employer, and how.
• When each symptom started, and what makes it worse.
• Any claim number from the Board or the insurer.
• Your medications and any earlier injury to the same area.

What if the injury happened in a car?

If you were hurt in a car accident, New York’s no-fault rules may apply instead, with their own deadlines. Read the 30-day no-fault notice and see our car accident care page.

What does chiropractic care involve?

Chiropractic treatment often involves spinal manipulation. Read what spinal manipulation can and can’t do for what federal research summaries say.

Who answers questions about your claim?

The Workers’ Compensation Board, your employer and the insurer handle the claim itself. For legal questions, talk to an attorney. This site does not give legal advice.

Why choose Nexus Spinal Care for a work injury in Midtown Manhattan?

Nexus Spinal Care sees work injury patients at 211 East 43rd Street, Suite 741, in Midtown Manhattan. Visits are with Dr. Jean V. Laine, D.C., who speaks English, Creole, French and Spanish.

The office offers chiropractic care, massage therapy and pain management.

Call (302) 590-8218 or see how to reach the office, and tell us the injury happened at work.