Employers have the responsibility of providing their employees a healthy and safe working environment. They have to make sure the location is ergonomically suitable for the workers. However, accidents such as slipping and spraining your ankle can happen, and anyone could still be injured despite the precautionary measures being followed.
Should you ever be injured in the workplace, here are the necessary steps for you to follow:
1. Attend to your Injury First
Administering to your injury is the primary thing to do. As soon as the incident take place, it’s important to be treated with proper first aid in order to prevent any further harm. See to it that you limit your movements and be stationary in your area. Legally, every workplace is obligated to have a first aid kit and a designated first aider who would tend to the person’s immediate need.
Try to get the attention of the assigned person or have one of your co-workers find the first aider. Getting immediate medical help after the workplace accident can help in your recovery and could reduce aggravation.
Although your injury may not be serious, its repercussions to your body can become lifelong without proper treatment. For instance, an unchecked wound or limp can be detrimental in your overall physique. Thus, make sure to get a full assessment of your injuries coming from a qualified medical practitioner.
At the same time, the medical records can help prove that your injuries were a result of an accident in the workplace. These records can help in your demands for compensation and other insurance policies.
2. Report the Injury to your Supervisor or Employer
As soon as you’re physically well, you need to inform your employer about your work injury and detail how it happened. In addition to your verbal report, you may also write and e-mail a formal document, so there’s a definitive proof of notifying your employer about the incident.
Don’t wait a day or two for the pain to go away or clear up on its own. It’s critical that you quickly inform your supervisor or employer so there won’t be any doubts as to where, when, and how the injury occurred.
Your supervisor or employer should have an incident report which explains the situation in detail. Make sure to request it right away and have copies for your own record.
3. Partner with a Lawyer
Prior to filing a claim, it’s often a good idea to consult and hire a professional like a slip and fall attorney.
Navigating through the process of getting compensation can be stressful and confusing, but you don’t have to go through all of these alone. Professional lawyers with experience on workers’ compensation claims can protect your rights and assist you in your legal journey. They can help you in filing your claim, dealing with the workers’ compensation insurance company, and getting the right compensation for your injuries.
By having a reliable attorney at your side, you remove the hassle of dealing with all the legal matters, so you can focus more on your physical recovery and other work matters.
4. Create an Incident Report
Most states will have a very short deadline by which a worker could report the incident and become insured under the workers’ compensation laws, which is why it’s important to report any workplace accident you’re involved in right away.
Filing a thorough report about the accident can immediately protect you in case you don’t exhibit any consequence of the injury until weeks after happening.
5. Keep Track of Absences and Expenses
Depending on the type and severity of your injury, you may qualify for a workers’ compensation benefit. In most cases, this means that your partially lost wages for missed work and reasonable medical expenses will be covered.
Vying for the claim would require you to have a detailed record of the time you missed from work along with all of your expenses related to your injury. This includes lab tests, doctors’ visits, medications, surgeries, or medical equipment like wheelchairs or crutches.
Your medical receipts and records will be crucial for building your claim and ensuring that you receive the right compensation.
Conclusion
Workplace accidents cannot be predicted. Getting injured while on the job, even the minor ones, can cause missed work and unnecessary expenses. As unfortunate as it may be, it also gives you unnecessary stress of processing compensation claims.
But as you continuously work on your recovery and rehabilitation, these steps should help you be compensated and get back on your feet.
