In the workplace, one of the things that matters the most is employee safety and welfare. When employees are safe, they can do and contribute more to the success of the company. The last thing you want is to see an injured coworker or even accidentally hurt yourself in the process. Not only is this going to affect the business operations and productivity for the day, but it can also be costly.
No matter how safe and careful you are in your workplace, accidents can happen. While you may not have control over this, you have control over what happens after. This way, you can be sure to receive the best remedies for what would’ve been an unfortunate situation.
After being injured on the job, there are steps you have to take to ensure your legal rights are going to be observed. These steps include:
1. Hire an Attorney
An experienced attorney is going to be your confidant when it comes to filing your claims after the workplace injury. Because you aren’t well versed with the law, it’s normal to feel confused or lost with processing your claims. Perhaps, your workplace injuries have rendered you physically immobile to file all the claims yourself.
When those two instances apply and while you’re still recovering at the hospital, your claims shouldn’t go stale. Otherwise, you may let the statute of limitations expire thereby hindering you from now filing your claim.
Having an attorney firms by your side ensures an accurate, timely, and efficient filing of your claims. They also help you fight for the right compensation you deserve if the erring party might be quite difficult to deal with.
2. Report The Injury
As soon as the injury happens, it’s a must for you to report it to your employer immediately. For the legal documentation and processes to commence, your employer has to be notified about the accident that just happened. This reporting and notification form the very foundation of the internal processes that have to be observed for the claims to progress.
Generally, an employee will have ten days from the occurrence of the accident to report the injuries. While this may seem like a long time, don’t wait it out. You may get busy with your medical treatments for your workplace injuries that processing what you have to may fall far behind in your mind. Don’t risk going beyond the statute of limitations, whereby you may already be barred from reporting your injuries.
3. Seek Medical Attention
For injuries that require medical attention, be sure you’re diligent enough to seek medical care. First off, claims often can’t commence in the absence of medical care. Proof of medical care and expenses incurred for your medical care is required for a workers’ compensation claim to progress.
Most importantly, submitting yourself to hospital care also ensures your health and safety are in order. Also, health should always be a top priority. Some injuries resulting from a workplace accident aren’t immediately apparent. With a doctor’s care, you know that you’re in good hands.
Also, another important note for you to remember is to follow through with your required medical care as recommended by your doctor. Don’t just go for the first few sessions and then neglect the follow-up care. Follow through with your doctor’s orders until you’ve recovered completely.
4. Fill Out A Workplace Injury Report
The laws on workplace injuries can differ from one state or another. So, these aren’t absolute. It’s important for you to also check with your local state and federal laws first as to the scope of the law. There are also different forms or documents you’ll have to fill up. One of these is the workplace injury report.
Be sure to have this filled up and submitted in detail, as accurately as possible. Even when your employer may say certain documents aren’t necessary, it’s still to your advantage to have those ready. This way, you also have your copy for your records.
5. Keep Track Of The Expenses And Missed Work
Your HR department will surely have a record of your absences. Although for documentation purposes and to re-check your claims in case of a dispute, it’s a plus for you to have your record as well.
This means having a record of all your expenses and missed work. It’s a prudent idea to keep all documents of your hospital and medical bills. Do have an excel sheet of your running total for all of your expenses as well.
Your detailed records should include:
- Records of work absences;
- Record of doctor’s visits or appointments;
- Prescriptions signed by your doctor;
- Surgeries and other medical treatment you had to undergo;
- Medical equipment you had to purchase for your mobility.
6. Secure The Scene
This step is what management or the employer has to do. As soon as the accident, it’s important to secure the scene. By doing so, no other employee will meet the same accident as well. Blocking access to the accident scene is a matter of safety which you’ll want to ensure and prioritize.
Securing the accident scene is also important for accurate reporting. When you limit access to the accident area, you can preserve the scene. This allows you to have a more detailed and accurate report about the facts and details of the accident. Should lawyers or police officers ask for evidence, the scene is preserved and isn’t tampered with by individuals who walk back and forth the accident scene.
Conclusion
As you can see, workers who are injured on the job are entitled to certain remedies. The workers’ compensation gives employees compensation for injuries incurred. Should there be death and permanent disability, there are benefits available for these accidents. However, those benefits aren’t absolute. There are many things you’ll have to do first to bring to light those claims. If you’ve long been wondering about what those processes are, the steps above should be your best guide.
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