Injured at work? Don’t know what to do now? Here’s 5 things you’ll need to do after your injury to help you get back on your feet.
As charming as your boss may be, they’ll still fight you tooth and nail when money gets involved. Look no further than if you got injured at work.
Due to an injury, you could bleed cash without the proper documentation and workers comp. You may even find yourself on the wrong end of legal action!
Let’s suppose you got injured on the job… what do you do?
That’s the topic of our post, today. You’ll learn about the actions you need to take the moment a workplace injury happens.
Injured at Work? Know These 5 Things
Over 4.5 million (yes, million) workers are injured every year. This involves simple injuries like a sprain to serious injuries involving machinery. Many will brush it off and continue about their day, letting the event go unreported.
Unfortunately… you never know if those incidents will later cause troubles.
What seemed to have been a common injury could become traumatic. A scrape, in the wrong work environment, could turn nasty (even deadly). So, this brings us to, perhaps, the most important item on our list…
1. Report and Document EVERYTHING
No matter how big or small — report to these people:
- Supervisor
- HR department
And, get the report in writing as verbal reporting often becomes “forgotten”. Quick reporting prevents hold-ups with benefits when they’re needed. It also helps you avoid legal troubles if an employer wants to fight the incident.
The reporting should include the safety procedures taken, too.
2. Know Your Rights
Two things:
- Get a copy of your company’s safety policy
- Study up on your state-level worker’s rights
Contact your state’s compensation board if you have questions understanding your rights. Else, talk with an injury attorney to proceed if you feel the injury got mishandled at the company.
In most cases, you’re entitled to worker’s compensation. Though, this can become a mess depending on who provides the insurance for the company. Knowing your rights gives you leverage if they become unagreeable.
Your rights may also involve which doctor you’ll see for the injury.
3. A Claim Takes Time, Start It Early
A worker’s comp claim can take weeks given the examination, investigation, and submission. Sometimes, insurers fight back, delaying the claim and processing.
The sooner you report and file the claim the better.
Refer to your state laws about the claim window. Many states set the window at 30 days for the official submission.
Internal injuries may not appear until much later — putting you tough position without much of a case. Whiplash, learn more about it, is one of these common events. Joint and muscle damage are other examples.
4. Relax and Rest
Do know it’s illegal for an employer to retaliate against your injury claims. Take that off your mind and follow your doctor’s recommendations. Rest, relax, and heal while you wait for the claim to process and begin earning compensation.
Don’t feel surprised if a business tries to back channel a settlement. Stick with your claim to enjoy the full benefits of the policies and law.
5. Lawyer Up
Seek legal representation if you’ve satisfied your end but they fight back. Check local listings else use online resources to pitch your case.
Injuries Happen, How It’s Handled is Telling
Those injured at work deserve respect from their employer. Injuries, minor to major, and how they’re handled is a telling sign about the employer.
Injured but treated wrong? Maybe it’s time to pick a new career.
