What to Do If You’re Injured at Work
With almost 3 million workplace injuries taking place each year, you’re not alone in this occurrence even though it can feel like it.
When you get injured at work, you don’t only deal with the trauma of what happened but you may feel like others are judging you. You know you’re not faking your injuries but you can never be sure what other people think about you.
It’s important not to let anyone else’s opinion of you get in the way of what you need to do for your health and wellness. Continue reading this article to learn what to do after you’ve been hurt at work.
Injured at Work? – Here’s What to Do
When you experience a workplace injury, here are the steps you need to take right away.
Get Medical Treatment Quickly
You might be rushed to the doctor right after your injury so you can get the medical attention you need. After your injuries are taken care of, you should see a workers comp doctor to get your injury documented in case of a lawsuit.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor After Your Injury
After you’ve been injured, you might be flustered and forget to ask your doctor something important. Here are some questions you should ask when you go to see your doctor.
1. What Injuries Do I Have?
You might think your doctor will tell you everything you need to know at your appointment but that isn’t necessarily true. Unless you ask your doctor to tell you specifics about your injury, they are likely to only go over the essentials.
When they tell you about your injuries, don’t be afraid to ask them follow up questions so you can understand what’s going on with your health.
2. Will These Injuries Cause Future Problems?
If you have to go to court to get compensation for your injuries, you not only want to know how much costs you’ve incurred for injuries so far but what you’ll expect in the future.
You can almost always get compensation for future injuries but only if you can prove that you’re going to incur these expenses. If the court hears how much you’ll have to pay in the future from a medical professional they are likely to approve your request.
3. How Long Will I Experience Pain?
The more pain you will experience, the more likely you are to wrack up the 0s on your compensation check. If you only have pain for a couple of months, you’re not likely to get a big check. On the other hand, if you’ll be in pain for the rest of your life, the compensation will be much higher.
4. Can I Get Back to Work?
Lost wages are another part of figuring out how much to ask for in your settlement. The person that causes you harm should pay for any and all lost wages you experience.
The defendant may say that you’re able to go back to work sooner than you really are so make sure your doctor weighs in on this. A doctor’s opinion will play a big role in what decision is made. If you wanted to make sure your health is being cared for, applying an alignment health plan is a good fit for you.
5. Can You Give Me Copies of My Medical Records?
If you have to hire an attorney to help you with your case, they will want to review your medical records. If your attorney looks at your medical records and needs further information, you’ll likely have to get that information from your doctor before moving forward with your case.
Having all of the information possible before you go to court or ask for a settlement will give you the best opportunity for a win.
6. How Did These Injuries Come About?
You know how these injuries happened but when you have the word of a doctor about how these injuries happened — it means more.
You have to prove that the other side was at fault and caused these injuries. They might try to say that you already had these injuries before the incident happened so secure doctor testimony telling when and how they believe the injuries were sustained.
7. What is My Treatment Plan Going to Be?
When you’re in court, the jury will want to know what you’re going to do to make your situation better. If you want to get full compensation, you should know your treatment plan and already be following it.
8. Is Physical Therapy In My Future?
If you have to go through physical therapy, these expenses may also be included in your medical damages.
You may not notice you need physical therapy on your own which is why it is important to ask your doctor.
9. What Outcomes Can I Expect?
Your prognosis may not be clear. Ask your doctor if they are pretty sure about what is going to happen with you and if not, what some of the outcomes could be.
10. Is There Anything Else I Need to Do?
If your doctor doesn’t have enough knowledge in the area, you may need to see a specialist. You may need more than one doctor to testify on your behalf.
Most Common On-the-Job Work Injuries
There are some workplace injuries that are pretty common. If you’ve experienced any of these, you shouldn’t feel embarrassed to let anyone know.
The sooner you get treatment for these injuries — the better.
Here are some of the things you should be on the lookout for.
- Falls, Trips, and Slips
- Strained Muscles
- Being Hit by Falling Objects
- Repetitive Strain Injury
- Collisions and Crashes
- Lacerations and Cuts
- Toxic Fume Inhalation
- Loud Noise Exposure
- Work Fights
- Walking into Objects
If you have any of these injuries, you need to make sure you take care of them as soon as possible. The longer you wait to take care of your injury, the worse it can get and if you’re seeking compensation — you may not get it.
Seek Help From a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Getting the compensation that is due to you isn’t always easy. Seeking the help of a professional will allow you to get a much better outcome in most cases. Make sure to look over the terms of the agreement with the attorney to make sure you fully agree before you get started.
Finding the Best Lawyer for Your Case
Your case is important and having a good attorney could mean the difference between a few thousand dollars and multiple thousands of dollars or even millions of dollars depending on your case.
Here are some things you should consider if you’re looking for an attorney to help you with your case.
Online Reviews
Online reviews allow you to get a quick look into what attorney’s past clients think about them. While online reviews are helpful, don’t let them keep you from using an attorney or be your end-all-be-all green light for working with them.
References
References are even better than online reviews because you can ask them specific questions about your concerns. Any good attorney will have a couple of people that have worked with them in the past and is willing to help them out by speaking with you.
Length of Practice
Another sign that you can trust their ability to take care of your case is their length of practice. If they are practicing on their own but don’t have a lot of experience, this might mean they will get stumped by any curveballs.
If they don’t have a lot of experience, you might ask them if there is anyone more experienced they can work with on your case so you make sure everything is on track. Most attorneys that have their own practice have worked under other attorneys in the past so you shouldn’t have to worry about inexperience — but it doesn’t hurt to check.
Do They Specialize In Workers’ Compensation Law?
Working with a lawyer that specializes in workers’ compensation law will ensure you have the best chance at getting your rightful compensation. If you work with a general practice attorney, they may not be up to date on all the latest laws in the area.
If they practice in other areas of law, that’s not a problem but you want to make sure workers’ compensation law is their main area of focus.
Keep Increasing Your Knowledge
Now that you know how to deal with being injured at work, why not keep learning? Our site has many other articles that can help you navigate through life.
Browse our site, find your favorite section and come back soon for more great reads.
