Hurt at Work? Here’s What You Should Do

Getting hurt at work is a legitimate concern to worry about, even when your job doesn’t involve potentially dangerous machinery. Statistics show that at least one worker gets injured every 7 seconds. 

Common workplace injuries include the following:

•    Repetitive motion injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome

•    Violent workplace disputes

•    Trips, slips and falls

•    Injuries from heavy machinery

•    Vehicular accidents

What to do when you get hurt at work

If you sustain injuries at work, knowing what to do can make a big difference to your health and finances. These steps can help you out:

1.    Seek medical help

The first thing you should do when you sustain injuries at work is to get medical help. If you can’t reach your phone because of serious injuries, ask your colleague to call for medical aid or rush you to a health facility immediately.

Desist from keeping quiet about it even if you feel you’re perfectly fine or that you’re responsible for the accident (for instance, you weren’t wearing protective gear). Regardless of the situation, you still need to get medical help. Some injuries may not present physical symptoms immediately after the accident and you may suffer later.

2.    Report to your supervisor or employer

File an accident report to your supervisor or employer after treatment. Your employer may provide a form where you’ll fill the details of the accident and the injuries sustained. Some states allow for verbal reports but it makes perfect legal sense to have everything in writing.

What if the treatment takes longer than expected? Since there’s a legal time frame in which you should file a claim, you need to get someone to help. Contact your supervisor, or a colleague, to come to the hospital or home to collect the details. 

3.    File a compensation claim

Workplace injuries can keep you away for weeks, months, years, or even indefinitely. They may also drain your finances on treatment and resultant conditions, especially if you have no personal injury insurance. Luckily, worker compensation laws exist in every state to protect workers hurt at the workplace.

File a workers compensation claim with your insurer or employer. If your employer doesn’t offer assistance for injured employees, you may need to hire a comp attorney to help you file the claim. Be sure the amount filed is truly what you deserve. If your employer or insurer rejects the compensation claim, your lawyer can pursue other paths to ensure you receive justice. 

Know what to do when hurt at work

Work-related injuries can have far-reaching implications on your health and finances but knowing what to do next can go a long way to make a difference. AOA Ortho has the expertise and experience to handle your pain if you’ve hurt at work. If you need more information, please contact us today.