Even in the safest of the workplaces, it’s possible to get hurt. The problem is that there are too many factors that may result in an injury and avoiding all of them is completely impossible. Therefore, sometimes being reactive is all that you can do. Moreover, knowing what you should do in these situations may help you handle this unpleasant issue more effectively. Due to the fact that some of these issues may have an effect on the rest of your livelihood, it definitely takes a high place on your list of priorities. Here are several important things to know if you get hurt at work.
Immediately seek medical assistance
The first thing you need to do if you get injured at work is to look for immediate medical assistance. Your health and safety are a top priority and there are some instances in which you might be completely unaware of the risks that you are in. In the case of internal bleeding or damage, you will have to undergo all sorts of analysis and examination by specialized medical personnel. Later on, you’ll need proof in the form of a hospital report, that you’ve looked for assistance immediately. Otherwise, you will also bear the liability for the consequences for your health.
File a proper report
The next thing you need to do is file a proper report. In the majority of states, you have a legal obligation to do so within 90 days. Ideally, however, this would be reported immediately. Now, chances are that you might be unable to do so in person right away, yet, the supervisor or safety officer probably needs to be informed by one of your coworkers (ideally, eyewitnesses to the incident). This way, once you do set the legal procedure in motion, you’ll have everything covered.
Gather evidence
As soon as this is over with, you should start gathering evidence. For starters, you need to describe the scenario in full detail and even draft a timeline of these events. Apart from this, you need to gather witnesses who can confirm your story or look for the video recording, in a scenario where your workplace has a surveillance system. Needless to say, you also need to gather copies of all the reports in order to submit them to your legal representative. This leads us to our next point…
Look for legal assistance
In order to ensure that you’re adequately represented, you need to find experts who specialize in personal injury law. What this means is that you need someone who knows how this procedure works, how to properly file for your claim and how to get you what you want. Keep in mind that it’s in everyone’s best interest for this claim of yours to not reach the court. A proper legal representative will help you achieve this through a combination of advanced negotiation skills and legal precedents as leverage.
Knowing your rights
Before you do file for the claim in question, you need to be fully aware of your legal rights. First of all, you have the right to file a claim. Next, you have the right to disability compensation, seeing as how you did get injured in the line of work. Finally, you have the legal right to be represented by a lawyer. Relinquishing any of these rights is irresponsible and counterproductive but it’s also your personal choice. You need to fight for what’s yours and understanding what is yours exactly is the first step towards achieving this.
It’s not always the employer
You should also bear in mind that it’s not always the negligence of the employer that causes the accident. For instance, the injury might come from a bad batch of supplies or poor equipment provided by an unreliable manufacturer. If that is the case, the employer needs to be notified, seeing as how you risk an even bigger problem otherwise. Sure, there are a lot of scenarios where casting blame is to be avoided, however, sometimes determining the culprit might actually help resolve these issues.
Conclusion
The last thing you need to bear in mind is the fact that it’s not just your right but also your duty. If you don’t act, the negligence that has led to your own injury might carry on. Apart from this, you’re also doing it for those who depend on your income. Due to your inability to keep earning money in the following period (or at all), you might put your family in a potentially dangerous scenario.