What to do if You’re Injured at Work

In an ideal world, all of us would be able to go to work without having to worry about getting hurt. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Many people work in dangerous jobs where there is a significant risk of injury, and even those who don’t have some chance of becoming injured. When this happens to you, it’s often hard to know what to do next. To help you out, here are the things you should do if you’ve been injured on the job.

Get Medical Attention

The first thing you should think about is yourself. No matter the injury, it’s important that you get medical attention. Don’t risk your health because you’re worried about the costs or because you decide to fill out paperwork instead. Your health is the most important thing, so it comes first.

When you get hurt on the job, it’s okay to go see your own doctor. Many people are worried about seeing the right doctor after they get hurt at work because they are unsure of the procedure. In most cases your own doctor is fine, but there are some restrictions when it comes to chiropractors. In addition, you may need to see another doctor for a second opinion later on, but for now head over to whatever doctor you choose and get yourself taken care of.

Report the Injury

The next thing you’ll want to do is report the injury. Just like in a car accident, whenever there’s an injury at work, it’s important to let the right people know. In some cases, it’s fine to simply tell your manager verbally, but your best bet is to submit this notice in writing. You should also keep a copy of this notice and make sure there’s a date on it. This will help to establish a record of the accident, which will be useful when it comes time to deal with insurance.

Another reason to report the injury is so management can make changes. If there’s a specific set of events that led to your injury, management will want to take steps to ensure it doesn’t happen to someone else. By reporting your injury, you can help protect not only yourself from future injuries, but the other employees at your business.

File for Worker’s Compensation

Next, it’s time to get your medical bills paid. According to this law firm in Springfield “If you or a loved one has been injured while working, you should file a claim for benefits with your employer’s workers compensation provider. Most legitimate injuries are covered by the insurance provider, and you can return to work quickly.”

Employers in this country are required by law to provide workers’ compensation insurance. This means if you’re hurt while working, your bills and other expenses will be covered. There are some instances where workers are not covered – like as an independent contractor – but in most cases the coverage is there. If your employer claims to not have worker’s compensation coverage, this is when you’ll want to speak to a lawyer.

To file a workers’ compensation claim, speak to your supervisor. They will help you through the paperwork and filing the claim. Dealing with an injury, and potentially the inability to work for a while, is hard enough without having to worry about paying your medical bills. So, make sure the right person is paying for it by filing for workers’ compensation.

What to do if There’s Any Problems

If you’re lucky you’ll be able to go through this whole process without any problems. However, that won’t always be the case. If you experience any problems, you should first try to work with your company’s management team. When that doesn’t work, move onto the HR department. While the HR department is there to protect the company and not you, they don’t want a lawsuit on their hands. Someone in the HR department may be able to help out when upper management is unable.

Finally, if all else fails, contact a lawyer. A lawyer will help ensure that you get the money you deserve and that you don’t lose your job in the process. Everyone in this country is entitled to protections, so if something is standing in your way of getting them, get some expert advice.

Going Forward

Hopefully you never experience an injury on the job. But if you do, it’s important that you know the proper steps to take. By knowing them you can relieve some significant stress from your life and get back to work sooner rather than later. We hope this guide was able to shed some light on the best way to do things and you’ll be able to handle your next workplace injury with much more ease.