No matter how careful you may be, you can’t control external forces. Maybe a coworker came in with his or her mind on other things. Maybe your company is using faulty equipment. There are simply things that are out of your control as a worker. And while no one wants to think about getting hurt on the job, you should be prepared for any situation. In the following post, we describe the four most important steps you should take immediately after being hurt on the job. As always, you can speak with an experienced workers compensation lawyer by calling us here at Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC.
What to Do After a Work Injury in 4 Steps
First and foremost, you need to secure your own safety. If you are okay, be sure that your coworkers don’t need help. You should also be aware that even if you feel like you’re not hurt after a work accident, minor injuries could linger and cause serious medical trouble in the future. Not all work injuries are apparent at first.
Whatever the situation is, be sure to take these four crucial steps after a work accident:
- Alert Your Supervisors – The first thing you need to do is report the accident or injury to your superiors. Depending on where you work or who you work for, be aware that you may have to submit a written account of the accident. Reporting the injury right away allows your company to get a head start on any workers comp forms that need to be filled out. It will also give your company the opportunity to address the cause of the accident.
- Seek Medical Attention – In some cases, you may have to seek medical attention before filing a report with your company. But even if the injury isn’t that severe, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. This way, any injuries will be documented and ready to use in your report.
- Fill Out a Claim – Your company should be able to furnish you with a claim file that you should fill out soon after you have seen a doctor. Be as descriptive and inclusive in your incident report as possible, as it will be used to settle your claim. Also, be aware that there will be sections that your employer will need to fill out.
- Listen to Your Doctors – If you are advised not to return to work after an injury but you do anyway, it could be grounds for your claim to be denied. This is why it’s very important that you follow any and all instructions your doctor gives you.
Contact Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC
Once you have made sure you’ve done everything on the above list, you may want to consider hiring a workers comp attorney. An experienced attorney will help you understand your rights and be able to give you detailed advice about your specific case. Often, companies will try to intimidate the injured party into withdrawing their claim. Contact Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC, by calling our office today.
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