Nobody expects to be involved in a workplace accident, but if you or someone you love has been, there are some important factors you must consider before starting any proceedings.
Safety on commercial building sites has come a long way in the past couple of decades. It wasn’t that long ago when wearing PPE was considered wimpish, and many thought it was a bit over the top. However, on most worksites in developed countries health and safety is now paramount, and PPE is a mandatory requirement. Even with all the headway, we’ve made along with the reduction in work-related injuries; until we get to zero, there will always be room for improvement.
Regardless of your occupation, how long you have been doing it for or how safe your construction site may seem, accidents happen and usually when you least expect them to. When they do, no matter how severe, the injured person is likely to suffer a significant financial loss, hence the reason for a worker’s compensation system. Injured workers are covered by law and must be compensated if they suffer injuries in a no-fault accident.
What to Do If You Have Had an Accident
If the unexpected does happen and someone is wrongfully injured, when it comes to making a claim, there are two main ways people go about claiming.
Some injured workers choose to partner with their employers while others seek assistance from specialist workers compensation lawyers like Australian Accident Helpline. Either way, employees can access financial recompense for their injuries although it’s always advised to use a third-party lawyer rather than dealing with your employer directly.
The reason for this is because the company you work for or their insurance company may not have your best interests at heart.
Some of the most common things that happen when people don’t seek the advice of a workers compensation lawyer include:
- Being accompanied by a representative from your employer’s insurance company during a visit to your GP, which should be private, just you and your doctor.
- Receiving biased, inaccurate advice that benefits your employer and the insurance company. Not you.
- Being pressured or advised to return to work too soon with no regards for your rehabilitation.
Not only can all of the above impact you in the short term, but they could also seriously affect your future earning potential.
Returning to work too early or settling claims without receiving expert legal advice can have catastrophic effects later on in life.
Depending on the injury but especially things like broken bones and fractures, have a tendency to come back and bite people later on in life. Recurring injuries have caused too many Australians to suffer a significant drop in wages when they have had to find a new career to cater for their injuries. In some sad cases, people have lost their capability to work altogether.
Why It’s Best to Go with A Third-Party Lawyer
By using a compensation lawyer when making a worker’s compensation claim you can be confident that their advice will be accurate, unbiased and to your best interests. They will also take things like future lost earnings, treatment and rehabilitation into consideration when preparing your claim. This will ensure that you’re covered for any problems you might encounter in the future in regards to things like recurring injuries.
You may already be going through a tough time dealing with unexpected medical expenses and trying to recover from your injuries. These can be stressful and confusing times, but there is help out there. All in all the worker’s compensation system in Australia is quite good. However, most lawyers offer a free initial consultation, so it doesn’t cost anything to get a second opinion to find out where you stand.
Contributed by The Correspondent
