If you are ever unfortunate enough to suffer an injury at work, a number of thoughts will cross your mind. You’ll want to act out on the anger that you feel towards whoever is responsible for your accident, and you’ll also feel pangs of fear with regards to how your financial situation is going to be impacted by your absence at work going forward. If you are injured at work there are possibilities to bring a lawsuit.
No matter what you think or feel at this time, it’s important that you retain a cool head. Acting irrationally or on impulse will help you in no way in this instance. Instead, you should take the steps that are listed below, as they are deemed the right course of action to take.
1. Take care of your injury
First and foremost, you have to take care of yourself and the injury that you have suffered. Forget about everything else for the time being — your health is the most important thing. The very first thing you should do once you suffer your workplace injury is seek appropriate medical attention. This can come in any degree of seriousness — it could mean simply seeking out your workplace’s onsite first-aider, or it could mean going to the hospital (no matter how afraid you might be). Depending on how much pain you are in, you need to seek the assistance that suits your specific needs at that time.
2. Report your injury
No matter how serious your injury is, whether it’s just a bruise or whether it’s a broken bone, you need to ensure that it is reported. By taking this action (or asking a trusted colleague to take it for you if you are unable to do so yourself), you will find it easier to claim compensation going forward.
Who should you report your injury to? Anyone and everyone. Your colleagues should be kept abreast of what has transpired, your manager and/or boss should be informed about the incident, and you should ensure that details of the event are recorded in your onsite accident book.
3. Keep a diary of everything that transpires
To strengthen the likelihood of you getting the compensation that you want and deserve, you need to keep a diary of everything that transpires. In this diary, you should note down everything with regards to the symptoms that you suffer, and you should record how many hours of work you are forced to miss as a result of your injury.
4. Seek professional assistance
In order to get the ball rolling with your compensation claim, you need to align yourself with a law firm that specializes in the issue of worker’s compensation — the Lewis Law Firm, a personal injury attorney Rock Hill, is one such firm that you could turn to in this instance. With expertise and experience in this specific field, they will be able to assist you every step of the way, from the act of reporting your incident to standing your ground when the issue goes to court.
To ensure that your troubles don’t snowball after you suffer a workplace injury, you need to take the post-injury steps listed above. Remember, it is your employer’s duty to ensure you are well-looked after and free from injury.
