This might come off as a shocker to you, but believe us when we tell you that a work injury is more common than you might think. Let us tell you an important statistic: more than 4 million employees get injured every year. Yes – you read this right!
So, if you get injured at your job – you are not an exception, as it can happen, and it will keep happening to other people in the world. The important question is – what do you do after you have gotten injured at work? And we are here to give you an answer.
Workplace Injuries – An Overview
Before we get into the details, let us have a look at what exactly is considered a workplace injury. You can sustain an injury in any workplace environment – it can be at a construction site or even inside your office, where you might have a desk job.
Here are some common workplace injuries:
Overexertion: a common example of this would be the injury that can occur due to repeated motions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Machine injury: this injury can happen when you get trapped behind or inside a heavy machine.
Slip & fall: these are the most common injuries that can happen at work. You can slip and fall anywhere and sustain a serious injury. In the worst cases, this injury can prove fatal.
Understand Your Responsibility
It doesn’t matter whether you work in a bakery shop or at a construction site – or – anywhere else: if you get ill or sustain an injury while at work, you need to understand your responsibility to inform your employer right away. We cannot stress enough the importance of knowing your responsibility as an employee but also as an employer.
If you are an employer, you are responsible for providing medical care. If you are an employee, you are responsible for informing your employer and seeking medical care.
Make sure to inform your colleagues and ask them to take pictures or make videos of you, your injury, and your surroundings.
Call the Ambulance
If you get into an accident, you can not and should never walk it off. Instead, stay where you are and call the ambulance right away. By doing so, you will have proof that you have actually been at your workplace, as the ambulance will document the place from where they picked you up.
We should tell you that you shouldn’t panic. If you cannot call the ambulance on your own, ask someone – your colleague – to do the needful. Getting medical help is a top priority.
Report Your Injury
With medical help on the way, your next step is to arrange for reporting your injury to the relevant department. You should do this the very moment after you have taken care of your medical needs.
We cannot stress enough the importance of being mindful of the description of how you got injured and the extent of your injuries. At the time of reporting your injury, you should give the same description that you are telling everyone else at the workplace and after the workplace.
The reason is that the insurance carrier, as well as the HR, will be looking out for any discrepancies in your reporting, which is why you must take care that you are telling things how they are and that you are telling the exact same things everywhere.
Ask Authorities to Investigate
After you have been injured, you should ask your employer or the authority to investigate the matter. This way, your employer can determine whether or not your case comes under the worker’s compensation claim or not.
Also, while the authorities are investigating your accident, call a personal injury lawyer, such as the Thomas Law Offices, as a way to have the law on your side. The lawyer will protect your rights and guide you about the legal steps that are part of filing a lawsuit and getting compensation.
We want to let you know that, at this point, your lawyer and your doctor are the only people that you can trust. No one else will be on your side. In fact, you might face hostility at your workplace as your employer and the HR department will be on the constant lookout to find a glitch in your statement so they can accuse you of the injury and don’t have to pay you compensation.
The thing is that your lawyer is the only person you can trust.
Hide Nothing from Your Doctor
If you get injured at work, you should know that you are more likely to be on leave to recover. While recovering, you will be dealing with medical bills and lost wages. If you are part of the worker’s compensation, your boss will be covering some part of these costs.
However, you should be hiding nothing from your doctor regarding pain and suffering, as you can get compensated for the pain and suffering with the help of an attorney. The worker’s compensation benefits only cover a tiny part of your expenses as the benefits are designed to protect your company and employer.
Also, you might have perceived an injury as less painful in the beginning – however – the injury might become severe with time. So, whatever you feel – make sure your doctor and your lawyer know all about it. Don’t hide anything from them, as they will be documenting everything, which can be useful later when you file a lawsuit and seek compensation for the pain and injury.
Keep a Journal
We are sure that you didn’t see this one coming – but – hear us out. If you get injured at work, you should definitely keep a journal. Why, you might ask? Well, we aren’t talking about the fancy stuff – although – we cannot deny the benefits of journaling.
But the primary reason to keep a journal is because you want to keep track of the pain and suffering that you endured because of the injury. You can share the notes later with your doctor and lawyer, which they can use in the court proceedings later and ensure you receive compensation.
