A workplace injury is commonly defined as any type of injury that occurs at work. It may happen at the company’s business or property. People often rush to call their injury lawyers as soon as the injury happens. Although this may seem like a good idea at the time, but before you do that you need to understand the series of steps that you need to take before calling your lawyer that are more important and if they are properly followed you can save yourself from further harm.
Work injuries can be prevented if the necessary precautions are taken but it is better to know what needs to be done if you suffer from an injury. According to a study conducted by the National Safety Council, someone is injured every seven seconds while they are on the job. So, it is important to have the basic information about how to deal with an injury that you sustain at the workplace.
With that being said, here are the most important steps you need to take after suffering a workplace injury;
Treat Your Injury
The first and arguably the most important thing you need to do when you suffer from any type of injury is to get it treated. Every workplace is legally obligated to have a designated first aider. An important thing to keep in mind when you suffer an injury is that just because an injury doesn’t look serious does not necessarily mean that it is not.
Consult a Doctor
First aid can help you with your injury temporarily but it is always a good idea to consult a doctor afterward just to make sure that you are not dealing with a severe injury.
Furthermore, if you are suffering from additional pain because of your injury, the doctor can prescribe you medicine that can relieve your pain.
Report the Injury:
It is imperative that once you get your injuries checked out by a doctor that you report your injuries to your employer as soon as possible. The sooner you let your employer know about the injuries you suffered, the sooner they’ll be able to report the incident. In addition to reporting the injury you need to make sure that you ask for a copy of the report because a lot of times insurance companies can deny claims if the report is not filed properly.
Filing for a Compensation Claim:
Once you have reported the injury to your employer and obtained a copy of that report, you need to immediately file for worker’s compensation benefits. The deadline for filing the claim differs from state to state so you need to make sure that you double-check the date and file for the benefits as soon as possible.
Furthermore, it is also paramount that you consult a lawyer while you are filing for a claim to make sure that everything is in order so that you can get fairly compensated for your injuries.
Above mentioned were some of the important steps you need to take after you suffer an injury at the workplace. While a work injury is often labeled as common and harmless, but at times it can prove to be very costly and even fatal if the right steps are not taken. If you follow these steps quickly and accurately, you can minimize the damage you suffer and at the same time make sure that you are fairly and properly compensated for your injuries.