In today’s world, most of us are exposed to the hustle culture as soon as we step into the corporate world. Injuries due to work are much more common among individuals who practice occupations requiring physical labor, such as construction workers and miners. If you have gone through such a scenario, knowing what to do is paramount after such an injury. In case you get an injury at your workplace, here is what you should do:
Seek Immediate Medical Attention
Ensuring your health isn’t affected is the first step you should take in any situation. If the injury appears to be severe and painful, you should immediately call emergency services at the work site. Even if the injury doesn’t look serious, you should still go to a nearby hospital to get yourself checked. In the case of serious injuries, prompt medical response can prevent complications and help create a record of the injury for which you will need to file any potential claim.
Report Injury to Direct Supervisor or HR
After experiencing an injury, you must promptly notify your immediate supervisor or HR department about the incident. Notifying a regulating authority within 24 hours of the accident is ideal to prevent any hurdles while filing a claim. Regarding reporting your injury, you must look into your company’s guidelines for the timeline that needs to be followed for reporting such an incident.
Documenting the Accident
To file for a successful claim, you should document your incident as effectively as possible. You should write down details of the accident, such as the date, exact time of the accident, location, and any contributing factors. For example, if you slipped due to wet floors or your hand got injured while operating faulty equipment, you should include these details.
Additionally, you should collect statements from witnesses in case they were present at the time of the accident. Apart from written details, having photographic evidence of the work site and visible injuries can also support your case.
Filing a Worker’s Compensation Claim
In case of an injury, you are likely to take time off work and even be on bed rest. You may incur high medical costs due to your injury and have to forego your income for the number of days you take off from work. To avoid incurring losses, you should file a Worker’s Compensation Claim that could cover your medical expenses and lost wages.
Other benefits include disability benefits and vocational rehabilitation, which means an injured worker can return to work by training in new skills or finding an entirely new job. If this is your first case and you don’t know how to go about the legal procedure, consider hiring a workplace injury attorney who will guide you through the procedure and help you get the compensation you deserve.
Following Up and Monitoring Recovery
You should maintain communication with your healthcare provider and employer throughout the recovery course. You should follow the advice administered by the physician, attend all the scheduled follow-up visits, and keep out of activities that could worsen your injury. Contact with your employer will also keep you updated on work-related progress so that you can return to your work life more quickly after recovery.
Endnote
You might feel anxious and concerned if you’ve injured yourself at work. You must first get the required medical attention to avoid any complications. Afterward, you should report the accident to your employer and build your case for filing a worker’s compensation claim. For this, you should first ensure that you’ve documented the accident with relevant evidence.
In case you don’t understand how to deal with the legal aspects, you should hire a workplace injury attorney who can support you through this process. Lastly, you should take care of yourself and comply with medical advice for a faster recovery.
