In 2020, there were 2.7 million nonfatal workplace injuries reported by private industry employers. As an employee, you need to make sure you’re protected in your workplace and that you get compensated after a work injury.
You need to make sure you report the injuries, file a report, and get legal help to get reimbursed for your injuries.
Do you want to learn more about what to do after a work injury? Keep reading these five immediate steps you need to take if you have been injured at work.
1. Report the Injury
The first thing you need to do when get injured at work is report the injury to a supervisor. Reporting your injury immediately is vital if you want to get compensated, as it will prove that you were injured when you said you were.
There may also be a statute of limitations when it comes to filing your report. This is a filing deadline, meaning you cannot file an injury report once the time has passed. If you do not file before the statute of limitations, you may lose your legal rights and you might not receive worker’s compensation benefits.
When you report your injury, you should try to get it in writing. Depending on where you live, your state laws may require this notice to be in writing, while others will allow you to file a verbal report.
By getting a written report as soon as you get injured, you will not lose any legal rights and you will get your compensation.
2. File an Accident Report
After you file the report with your supervisor, you also need to ask them to prepare an accident report. This should be done as quickly as possible after you get injured at work, and you should always ask for a copy of this accident report.
An accident report should include details of your accident. Tell exactly how and why it happened, what your injuries included, and witnesses.
If your supervisor doesn’t prepare the report, you should write it yourself and then turn it in to your supervisor. Having this on file is essential if you want to file a worker’s compensation report and if you are going to get reimbursed for your injuries.
3. Get a Doctor’s Evaluation
Next, it is time to get a medical evaluation. After your employer has been notified that you were injured at work, you need to figure out the extent of your injuries. In some states, you need to go to a medical provider that is authorized by your employer or insurance company.
You need to get a complete medical evaluation to see if the injuries are worse than they appear. Plus, some injuries will not appear until a few days after the injury takes place. Making sure you have a doctor’s report of the full extent of your injuries will make sure that you are completely reimbursed.
Getting a doctor’s evaluation will make sure that your injuries do not get worse and that you know how to treat your injuries. You need to make sure you follow medical instructions regarding your injury to make sure you don’t make it worse.
4. File a Worker’s Compensation Claim
Filing a worker’s compensation claim is another important step after you get injured at work.
You have the right to do this when you get injured at work, whether your injury was serious or not. If you do not file a claim, you will not be able to get compensated for your injury and for your missed work.
You can only file a worker’s compensation claim if you were injured on the job, so having an injury report from the day of your accident will prove that you were injured on your job site and it will give more information about your injuries.
Similarly, you need to file your report within a certain time frame. If you miss the deadline, you may be denied your claim. To get help filing your claim, you can hire a legal representative to get the paperwork filled out correctly.
Otherwise, you can get the forms from your employer or ask the Employee Assistance Office for your state.
5. Hire a Legal Professional
Finally, you should hire a work injury lawyer to help you through your personal injury claim. While you can try to file your worker’s compensation on your own to save money, there are some types of personal injury claims that are more complex.
In these situations, you should always have a legal representative. This is especially important if you were seriously injured at work, as you will need enough compensation for your medical bills, your missed work and wages, and more.
Having a professional personal injury attorney will make sure you get as much compensation as possible and will ensure that you reach a fair settlement. A personal injury attorney will make sure you take the proper steps when filing your case.
Injured at Work? We Can Help
When you have been injured at work, you must take immediate action. You can document your injury, file a report, and get compensated faster. If you want to learn what to do after a work injury or how to report a work injury, getting legal advice is the easiest way to resolve the case.
For work injury legal advice, the Law Offices of Mitchel M. Ozeri can help! We have helped thousands of clients win personal injury cases and don’t charge until you win your case.
Contact us today to get a free case evaluation!
