Injuries in the workplace are frighteningly common, yet not everyone knows what to do when they occur. You do have a right to compensation if you are injured on the job, but you need to follow the proper channels and take the right steps to claim your compensation and help ensure that your injury doesn’t happen to anyone else.
Your employer likely has a protocol that they need to follow in the event of a workplace injury, but here are seven critical steps to take regardless of where you work and how you were injured.
1. Inform Your Supervisor
When you are injured on the job, inform your supervisor as soon as possible. They will have paperwork to fill out to document the incident, and they will be able to provide further guidance on what you should be doing next. You may have to report your accident by a specific deadline in order to receive worker’s compensation, so don’t hesitate to report any injury no matter how minor it may be.
2. Seek Medical Attention
You should seek medical attention for your injury immediately after informing your supervisor. Your employer may require you to see a specific doctor for your injury, and they will cover your travel expenses if you need to take an ambulance. Even if your injury seems relatively minor, you should still see a doctor to make sure that it isn’t worse than you think it is. Seeing a doctor – especially one required by your employer – also ensures that the incident and any treatment you receive are properly documented.
3. Gather As Much Evidence As Possible
An incident report was probably already filed if you reported your injury to a supervisor, but you still need to be diligent when it comes to gathering evidence. Write down all the details of the incident, including where and when it occurred and what you were doing at the time. Take photos of the location if you can.
4. Contact an Attorney
Although everything should be on the level when it comes to filing a worker’s compensation claim, this is sadly not always the case. To make sure that you receive all the compensation due to you, contact an attorney after you’ve filed your worker’s compensation claim. Make sure that anyone you hire is experienced in worker’s compensation and personal injury cases.
5. File a Worker’s Compensation Claim
Worker’s compensation will cover the cost of your medical treatment as well as the wages you will lose if you need to miss work. Be sure to file your claim as soon as possible since there may be a deadline to do so.
6. Track All of Your Expenses
Be sure to track any expenses that are a result of your injury. This includes medical bills, lost wages, and mileage if you need to make a round trip of over 20 miles for medical treatments. Your attorney will take all of this into consideration when they put together your worker’s compensation case.
7. Prevent Other Accidents
If you were injured on the job, chances are that it was because something at your workplace wasn’t entirely safe. Speak to your coworkers and your supervisors about what happened and suggest how things can be made safer. Employee safety should be a top priority for any employer. If it’s not, speak to your attorney and let them know about any potential safety hazards on-site.
