If you have recently been injured in the course of your duties at work, don’t delay in seeking treatment and filing the proper paperwork with your employer. Take these steps after your workplace injury to ensure your recovery is free of undue stress.
Tell Your Boss
Let your employer know right away that you’ve been hurt. The longer you wait to report your injury, the more complicated it will be to obtain worker’s compensation. Work with your boss to fill out the paperwork required to receive your benefits, and provide as many details about the incident as you can.
Seek Medical Attention
One of the most common mistakes people make after a workplace injury is putting off an appointment with their doctor—or not seeing their doctor at all.
Your injury will take longer to heal if you don’t receive any medical attention for it. In addition, your worker’s comp case could suffer, as the insurance company can argue that your injury must not be that severe if you didn’t see a doctor.
Compile a Complete Account
While the incident that caused your injury is fresh in your mind, write out a detailed account of what happened. Include the date, time, and location of the incident. Return to the scene of your injury, if possible, and gather evidence of the factors that caused your injury.
Pro Tip:
If any of your colleagues witnessed your injury, talk to them about what they saw to corroborate your account.
Seek Legal Counsel
Your case for worker’s compensation may seem cut and dry to you. Perhaps you slipped on spilled liquid and hurt your back, or a heavy object fell from a high shelf and gave you a concussion. Proving your case may seem easy at first glance.
However, it’s wise to have a talented worker’s comp attorney on your side during the claims process. A good lawyer will know which legal procedures are most relevant to your claim, and they’ll identify shady practices used by insurance companies to undermine you.
If you’ve been injured at work, follow these steps immediately afterward to ensure your worker’s compensation claim goes as smoothly as possible. You deserve to recover from your injury with adequate compensation and understanding from your workplace.
