7 Key Steps to Take if You Are Injured at Work

No matter what kind of career you’re involved in, there are always ways you can get injured at work and permanently damage your health or lose your primary income. So, besides worrying about your injuries, you might also be required to worry about finding reliable information on what you should do after your injury. In order to get the best out of a bad situation, here’s what you need to do if you’re injured at work.

Treat your injury

This is the first thing you should do—pay attention to your injury and find a workplace first-aider. Every workplace needs to have a first aid kit you can use, so make sure to treat the injury the best you can to prevent any other health complications.

Inform your coworkers

If you happen to be alone in the workplace, make sure your colleagues are informed of your accident right away. When you choose to file for compensation, your coworkers can be of great help. By informing them, they can’t dispute your accident and you can avoid various common legal issues.

Take photos

If you have visible injuries and want to protect yourself from any false accusations, make sure to take plenty of photos. Grab your phone and take photos or videos of the accident location and your injuries. Photo evidence of the location, circumstances and injuries will be the most compelling evidence and it will prevent any dishonest employer from trying to change the accident circumstances and obstruct your claim.

File a report

In most cases, you have a short deadline to file a report of your accident. If you want to get compensation, make sure to do this step as soon as you can. Report your accident no matter if you’re injured or not, just in case. Even if you don’t have any visible injuries, your report can encourage your employer to implement new safety measures and prevent some other injuries in the future. This also protects you in case your symptoms surface only after a week or a month after an accident.

Contact your lawyer

If you choose to seek compensation, expect a hard and complicated process. Insurance people are well trained in using your statements against you, so be careful. The best thing you can do is to find an experienced WorkCover lawyer who will help you go through the small print of your policy and help you get the best insurance benefits you can claim. They can also offer help with filing your claim and filing your forms. Best lawyers also understand that you might lose money due to your injury, so they only charge you if you win the case.

Consult a doctor

As soon as possible, you need to see a doctor examine your injury. If your injury is serious, you will go to the emergency room. If your injury is lighter, you still need to see a doctor, one your employer chooses or one you choose yourself. Some companies have a policy that states that you need to see a certain specialist of their choosing, but if you’re not satisfied with their evaluation, you can ask another opinion under the workers’ compensation law. Even if the law is not on your side, it might be worth it to pay a different doctor yourself. Depending on your injuries, you can possibly lose a lot more than the cost of a second opinion! If you’re ensured, your health insurance might cover your doctor’s visit.

Make a diary of your injuries

You need to have a clear and updated list of all the symptoms you’ve been feeling after your accident. You can start writing a physical journal or make notes on your computer or smartphone. This document will come in handy in case doctors and nurses choose not to record all your symptoms (happens often). At the time of your accident, you might have had multiple injuries, yet your doctor only noted down those that are most serious. As time passes, your injuries can easily change. Something that might have seemed like a little thing can affect your life the most and can become the main injury in your claim.

Armed with proper knowledge, you will be fully protected in case of an injury at work. Knowing how to react in such a stressful situation can make all the difference between getting compensation and leaving this horrible situation empty-handed.