Been Injured At Work? Do This
Recovering from a workplace injury can be a difficult journey. You may find yourself dealing with physical, emotional, and financial challenges as you work to get your life back on track.
If you’ve been recently injured, here’s what you should do in this particular order:
1. Seek medical attention
It is important to seek medical attention for your injury. Depending on the severity of the injury, you may need to go to the emergency room or see your doctor.
Make sure to keep any medical documents related to your injury.
Depending on the severity of your injury, you may need to see a specialist or undergo physical therapy for an extended period of time. And while this can be a daunting prospect, it’s crucial to remember that getting the right care as soon as possible is the best way to ensure you have a higher chance of making a full recovery.
NB! Make sure to follow the doctor’s orders and attend all appointments. Failure to follow through with treatment could affect your worker’s compensation benefits.
2. Take photos or video of the accident if you can
This will make your evidence bulletproof.
Photos taken on iPhone (which show metadata like location and time) can be compelling evidence. It can support a compensation claim, if you later choose to make one, or could help you to defend yourself from any bogus accusations a dishonourable employer may make.
3. Tell your colleagues about the accident
If you were working alone at the time of your accident at work, ensure your colleagues are made aware of the incident. In particular, tell the co-workers whom you trust the most about your accident.
Making your colleagues aware of the accident is a good step for two keys reasons:
1. It can help to avoid similar workplace injuries from happening to anyone else.
2. It can help in any investigations or if you later decide to claim compensation since colleagues can act as witnesses.
4. Report the injury to your employer
As soon as possible, inform your employer about the injury. This is important as it will help you establish a record of the injury and the circumstances surrounding it.
Most employers are required to have worker’s compensation insurance. If you have been injured at work, you may be entitled to worker’s compensation benefits. You will need to file a claim with the insurance company.
5. File a worker’s compensation claim
If you are having trouble receiving worker’s compensation benefits, or if you feel that your employer is retaliating against you for filing a claim, you may want to consider seeking legal advice from a solicitor who specialises in worker’s compensation cases. Check out injury at work claims. Their Accident at Work Claim Calculator will help you understand what level of compensation you could be entitled to.
A solicitor can advise you on all types of claims you are entitled to, for example:
* The loss of enjoyment of a prearranged holiday
* Care and assistance from friends and family
* Increased heating/electricity bills
* Travel expenses – e.g. to medical appointments or treatment sessions
Contact a solicitor as soon as possible.
6. Keep records of your injury
Keep records of your injury, such as when you visited the hospital, how long you were admitted, diagnoses, medications, and photos of the injury itself.
In addition to keeping records of your medical expenses, it is important to keep track of any time you have had to miss work due to your injury.
All of these records are important, especially if you’re considering an injury at work claim, as they will help your solicitor when presenting your case.
Read more about things you can do when you’ve been injured at work at Citizen Advice.
