Do you know what to do if you get injured at work?
Wondering what actions you should take after a workplace injury?
If you experience an accident in the workplace, it’s crucial that you proceed in the right way. You need to file a workers’ compensation claim and do a few additional things if you want to make sure that you’ll be taken care of and that you’ll get the compensation you deserve.
Luckily, we’ve got your back. Below we’ll tell you what you need to do after you experience a workplace injury.
Report It Immediately
The first thing you need to do after experiencing a work injury is to report it to your employer. If you want to be compensated for your injury, then it will be necessary to report your injury to your employer as soon as possible after the accident occurs.
The longer you wait to tell your employer about the accident, the more likely it will be that you won’t be covered, so you need to do it as quickly as you can. Accurate reporting of your injuries is important because it needs to be clear that the accident occurred at work rather than when you were off the clock instead.
Even if you don’t notice pain or any other symptoms after the accident, you should report it immediately. This way, if you start to experience symptoms weeks or months later you’ll still be covered.
Get Medical Help
In addition to reporting your accident to your supervisor or employer, it’s also important that you visit a doctor as soon as you can. If you’ve experienced an accident, you need to get medical attention. Whether you were injured in a fire or experienced an equipment-related accident, you shouldn’t delay going to the doctor for any reason.
By going to the doctor after your accident, you’ll be able to get the full details about your injury and will have a record of it that you can keep. This will make it easier to file a workers’ comp claim since you’ll be able to answer questions and provide documentation regarding the extent of your injuries.
Stay In Touch With Witnesses
Another thing that you need to do after experiencing a workplace accident is to get the contact information of any witnesses who were present. Witnesses may need to be called upon later to corroborate your story and verify the specifics of your accident.
Having the written or oral confirmation of witnesses can be incredibly helpful when notifying your employer and when asked questions about your workers’ compensation claim.
Be sure that you take the time to get the information of witnesses if you want to have the best chance of getting fairly compensated for your injury.
Learn About Your Rights
There are a lot of specific things that may disqualify you from getting workers’ compensation benefits, so you need to be aware of these before filing a claim.
For example, there are different laws that pertain to your accident if it was the result of a third-party rather than the fault of your company. It’s also important to know that you may not get workers’ comp benefits if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of your accident.
You should know what may disqualify you from receiving benefits and consider this carefully before filing a claim. You may also want to speak with an attorney to get the full scoop on whether you’ll be eligible for benefits or not. It can also be helpful to learn about the specific workers’ compensation laws in your state as they can vary.
Fill Out a Workers’ Comp Claim
The next thing you’ll need to do after you’re injured at work is to fill out an official claim form that will be provided by your employer. You’ll want to write down the full details of your accident and describe the course of events clearly in this document. You’ll also want to have the details of your doctor visit in writing as well.
Filling out the claim form will help you ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Make sure that you fill it out thoroughly and accurately so that the relevant parties will be able to review the details of your injury.
Track Your Expenses
In addition to documenting the details of your accident, it’s also important that you keep a log of any expenses that occur as a result. You should track anything you have to pay immediately after the accident as well as later on.
If you’ve missed any workdays or if you’ve had to pay medical expenses out of pocket then you’ll need to keep a log of all of this. You should be entitled to compensation for any surgeries, medications, therapy, or other expenses that are a result of your accident.
Be sure that you keep records as accurately as possible and keep these records safe. You may need to provide it to your employer, attorney, or other parties as needed.
Find an Attorney
After you experience a workplace accident, you’ll also want to consider hiring a great workers’ compensation attorney to help guide you.
A workers’ comp attorney will have all of the know-how for navigating the legal issues related to filing your claim. If there is an issue with your claim or if it is denied for some reason a lawyer will be able to fight in your name to make sure that you have the best chance of getting compensated fairly.
While you probably won’t need to hire a lawyer for a minor injury, it may be a necessity if your accident is going to lead to extensive medical treatment or if you think the claim may be disputed for some reason.
Be Ready For a Denial
After filing your worker’s comp claim, it’s possible that it will be denied. There are many reasons that a claim may be denied, but usually, it’s because there was insufficient documentation of your injury or you filed your claim too late.
If your claim is denied, however, you’ll have opportunities to appeal the decision. If the FECA covers you, you can do this by requesting an oral hearing of your case. You can also write to the relevant district office to ask them to change their decision.
Understanding How to Proceed After Being Injured At Work
If you’ve been injured at work during an accident, you need to think carefully about what you do next. By following the steps above you’ll ensure that you’re making the right steps and that you’ll get the compensation you deserve for your injury.
Looking for more work-related advice and tips? Explore our blog now to find more helpful articles.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
