4 Steps To Take After Being Injured On The Job

Sustaining an injury at work can be a traumatic experience. It can leave you with high medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, unless you’ve been injured on the job before, you’re probably confused and overwhelmed about the things you should do to protect your rights and interests.

Thus, if you’ve suffered a workplace injury, below are the four steps to take to ensure you have the leverage to navigate your situation more effectively:

Do These After Being Injured On The Job

1. Ask For Immediate Medical Attention

After being injured on the job, the first step is to get yourself checked by an experienced doctor. When you seek medical attention right away after suffering an injury, you can fulfill the following purposes:

• Get The Medical Care You Need

Typically, most symptoms of workplace injuries don’t become visible right after the incident. Some signs will appear a few days or weeks after you’ve been injured, making it challenging to identify whether immediate medical attention is necessary. But because of this scenario, it’s essential to obtain the medical care you need regardless of whether the symptoms are visible or not. That way, you’ll get the treatment as soon as possible and prevent potential health complications.

• Provide Evidence For Your Injury

Seeking medical attention is vital if you plan to file a case to recover compensation. It allows you to document your injury right after the accident. It can also be used as evidence to prove your workplace injury and have leverage on your case.

2. Consult A Lawyer

Now that you’ve obtained the medical care you require, it’s time to work with a lawyer. Unless you’re familiar with the injury laws in your state, you need the services of a dedicated legal professional from hawklawfirm.com and other reputable law firms to handle your case correctly.

Generally, a lawyer can evaluate the facts of your case and determine the legal remedies available in your case. For example, they can advise you to file any of the following, depending on your circumstances:

• Workers’ Compensation Claim

Most employers have workers’ compensation insurance coverage to provide their injured employees with medical and lost replacement benefits. Thus, if you’re injured on the job, you may file a workers’ compensation claim with the help of a lawyer to get compensated. However, if you decide to institute this type of claim, you’re barred from filing a personal injury claim. This means you can’t use the two options simultaneously for your case.

• Personal Injury Claim

If you believe your workplace injury results from someone else’s negligence, filing an injury claim may be the best option. When you have this case in court, you can make the at-fault party liable and recover compensation for all your economic and non-economic damages. However, in doing so, you need a legal professional to help you establish the liable party’s negligence.

3. Report The Injury To Your Employer Immediately

If you’ve been injured on the job, it’s essential to report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. This is especially true if you’re planning to file a workers’ compensation claim against your employer’s insurance provider. When notifying the employer, you need to put the report in writing to prove that you indeed reported your injury.

In some cases, employers may tend to claim that they haven’t received any report from the injured employer. Thus, it’s essential to document everything to streamline the process and avoid problems later.

4. Collect Evidence

Whether you file a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim, you need to gather certain pieces of evidence to improve your chances of winning. When you institute a workers’ comp claim, you can use the evidence to prove that your injury was work-related and covered under the said insurance program. When you file an injury case, you can utilize the evidence to substantiate your claim that your injury was caused by your employer or another party’s negligence.

Generally, some common examples of evidence to gather can include:

• Medical reports, including laboratory tests and detailed doctor’s notes;
• Photos and videos of the accident scene and the injury;
• Maintenance logs;
• Witness testimonies;
• Expert testimonies;
• Pain journal.

If you want to make sure you get the evidence you need, you can hire a lawyer to help you with the evidence collection process. They have professional connections that allow you to obtain proper documentation for your case.

Bottom Line

Being injured on the job can be frustrating. Depending on the severity of your injury, your whole life may change forever. You may have to pay more money for long-term medical care for a long time, or you may no longer be able to do the things you once enjoyed in life. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep the steps mentioned above in mind. That way, you’ll know exactly what to do to ensure you attain a more favorable outcome for your case.