The WSIB system is complicated and most people don’t have full knowledge of all their rights. Due to this lack of familiarity, people handling their own cases can make basic mistakes that dramatically reduce the payments they receive.
One common mistake is not getting all you can. Many people assume that because they are being paid benefits their claim was fully approved. In reality, you may be legally entitled to more than you are getting because WSIB is withholding benefits you are unaware you can demand.
Another common mistake is failure to ensure early reporting: you want to report not only your major injury, but every minor injury arising out of the accident. You want to fill out a Form 6 for all injuries right away- because if you don’t report it early, WSIB will try to minimize payments you should get for those injuries by claiming you didn’t report it so it wasn’t caused by your accident.
The injured person must be very proactive in making sure all the required forms are filled out: the Form 6 by them, the Form 7 by their employer, and the Form 8 by their treating doctor. The worker can’t just rely on these parties and assume the reporting was done- it is up to you to make sure all forms were filled out properly and submitted.