What To Do The Moment You’re Injured At Work
Nobody plans to get injured at work.
But it happens and that can leave you scrambling to figure out what to do.
If you have been injured at work it’s important to take the right steps. Doing so will safeguard your rights as an employee and you’ll be fulfilling your responsibilities to your employer.
The following steps help to ensure that you’re taken care of correctly either by your employer or on your own if you find any resistance from your employer. They also ensure the best coverage possible from your New York construction accident lawyer.
Go To An Emergency Room
First, decide if your injury is an emergency.
If so, call 911 and go to an emergency room.
You may be reluctant to call an ambulance, but your health and safety come first. Don’t be worried about going to the emergency room for a legitimate emergency. It’s in your best interest and in the best interest of your employer for you to get help as soon as possible.
It is illegal for your employer to retaliate against you because you’ve had an accident. It is also illegal for an employer to tell an employee not to report an accident.
If you go to the emergency room, it’s important that you tell the medical staff that your injury occurred at work.
The employer is usually responsible for the cost of the visit and the ambulance if one was necessary.
Get First Aid
Determine whether your injury requires first aid.
Minor injuries may only require a band-aid or an ice pack, but it’s still important to get the help you need so you can make a quick recovery.
For example, if you’re bleeding, you’ll want to clean and cover any cuts right away.
The company should have first aid items on hand.
Report Your Injury
After that, the most important thing is to report your injury to your employer. If it’s a non-emergency, you should report the injury to your supervisor first.
Report your accident as soon as possible, even if you don’t require medical attention right away. If you don’t tell your employer right away, even though it’s an innocent mistake, it complicates any claim your employer makes on your behalf.
Don’t think that you have reported the incident just because you received first aid from the clinic. Don’t just assume that the company “knows.”
If you don’t tell your employer immediately after your accident, you risk losing many of your rights to insurance coverage or compensation. You also have to notify your employer about your injury in writing within 30 days of your injury, or from the time you first realized you were injured.
Start A Written Record
You should keep a written record of your injury. Your best bet is to use a personal notebook or computer.
Don’t store this record on your computer at work. Start as soon as you can after your injury. Do this right away while the details are still fresh in your mind.
In your written record include the date and time of your injury. Also record the date and time that you first informed your supervisor of your injury.
You will probably be asked for this information later. Make a list of any witnesses to your injury or accident. If you received medical treatment on-site, describe the treatment you received.
Collect Details About the Accident
If your injury was the result of an accident, you should write down all of the details that you can remember. Describe what you were doing.
List the sequence of events in the exact order that they occurred.
Also, describe how what you were doing applies to your job responsibilities. If your accident involves machines or equipment, record exactly which machine or piece of equipment.
Be sure to note whether this accident has occurred before.
Accidents At Remote Locations
If your injury occurred on the job, but at a remote location, then it’s even more important that you collect any information you or your company might need.
This is especially true if your accident involved a motor vehicle.
Start with the exact time and location. Note whether you are driving or riding in a company car. If your accident involved a second vehicle, get the other driver’s name and address, if possible.
Work-Related Diseases
Some conditions, like diseases from work-related exposures, may not present themselves suddenly, like an injury from an accident. Where the disease or injury has a gradual onset, documenting all of the circumstances leading to your condition is more important, and more difficult.
Take Care Of Yourself And Write Down The Details
By following some of the guidelines we’ve outlined here, you can make sure that you make the right decisions during the critical minutes and hours following an accident at work.
The biggest items to remember is to get help fast. Don’t postpone your recovery.
Also write down details about the accident when the events are fresh in your mind. Report these details to your supervisor and from there you can start the process.
If you have any questions about your specific case please contact us today and we’ll help you.
