Look, getting injured is never a fun experience. Even if it’s a small injury, it can cause unnecessary discomfort. That being said, a workplace injury can feel ten times worse than a normal injury. Not only do you need to deal with the injury itself, but you need to deal with the logistics and a lot of paperwork.
If you’ve been injured at work, you may feel stressed and panicked. People often don’t know what to do. We’re here to help. We’ll be walking you through the key steps that you as an employee need to take after a workplace injury.
Report it
The first thing you need to do if you were injured at work is to report it to your senior supervisors, such as a manager, or your company’s human resources department. Even if you don’t think your injury is serious, you should still report it to prevent possible problems in the future.
You may need to fill in a lot of paperwork. During the course of any job, you will be required to write certain letters, such as applications or resignations, and these all have their own format. An injury report is no different – you will need to fill it out correctly, so ask for help if you’re uncertain about something.
Get legal advice
Workplace injuries often lead to legal matters, such as personal injury claims or worker’s compensation claims. Your chances of receiving some sort of monetary compensation will be much better if you have a lawyer, as they will be able to help you do things the right way.
Keep in mind that any legal action against your employer could lead to a long, draining process, and you may not always get the outcome you want.
Get a medical exam
Once again, even if your injury seems insignificant, you should see a doctor. It is always possible that you obtained an injury that may not be immediately obvious, such as a concussion. If the injury requires you to take sick leave, you will likely need a doctor’s note in any case.
A medical report could also be incredibly helpful if you believe that your employer was somehow responsible for the injury, and you want to take legal action against them because a medical report can deal as a vital piece of evidence.
Gather evidence
As mentioned, evidence can be very important when it comes to the legal aspects of a workplace injury. We’ve already stated that a medical report can be a valuable piece of evidence, but you should gather other evidence as well – the more you have, the better your chances of winning any possible lawsuits.
For example, you should write down everything you remember about the accident and injury as soon as possible. We often forget traumatic events, and while you can try to remember something you forgot, it’s much easier to write it down while it’s fresh in your brain. Other forms of evidence include witness statements or photographs of the accident scene and all injuries.
