The most recent report from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, released in November of 2020, indicated that 2.8% of employees reported work injuries. Each of those employees needed to learn how to report a job accident.
Workplace accidents can happen at any job. If you understand what to do after a workplace injury—even before it happens, the process of putting in a claim can be simpler.
1. Report Any Workplace Injury to Your Employer
Even if you think it is minor, you should report workplace accidents to your employer immediately. Some accidents don’t cause any problems and don’t require time off. Some injuries may seem minor at first, but do not show any repercussions until later.
You must report accidents at work to your employer within 30 days. Failing to do so could result in not getting benefits if you report it too late or if you don’t report an accident.
2. Fill Out Reports
When you are considering what to do after a job injury, don’t forget to fill out the injury report. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires that all employers make injury reports available to any employee that requests them.
Some employers will insist that your injury is minor and it is a waste of time to fill out a report. If you are injured on the job in any way, it is your right to have a report to fill out. You may decide not to file it, but you should still keep a copy for yourself.
3. If You Have a Job Injury, Keep a Copy of Paperwork
Your work will keep a copy of all the reports and paperwork associated with your workplace injury. They must provide this to medical professionals. You should also keep a copy of each document associated with your job accident.
Most employers are pretty good about making sure that they keep documents safe. They print out copies and they keep a copy on the computer. Lost paperwork can drastically affect your case.
You should keep your own file of all the documents and receipts associated with your workplace accident, just to be safe. If you have a copy and your work has a copy, you can be sure that nothing will get lost.
4. Seek Medical Care After a Job Accident
Some injuries might seem minor, but you should seek medical care anyway. When you are taking steps to plan what to do after a workplace injury, you need to see a doctor.
Seeking medical care after a job accident can protect you against disputes. Your employer’s insurance company may not see the injury the same way you do. If you see your doctor immediately after an injury, you will have the opportunity to dispute their statements.
You can even seek a second opinion if necessary. While your employer may require you to see a doctor that is not your regular physician, there is no reason you should not see your own doctor as well. Your employer’s insurance company requires you to see specific doctors.
Your primary care physician will have your best interests in mind. And Your employer’s insurance company may be more focused on keeping costs low.
If you’ve been keeping a copy of all paperwork, you can provide your doctor with this information. This will give your doctor the full picture of the injury.
5. File the Claim
It is your job to submit the claim with Worker’s Compensation in your state. If you do not file the claim, you can’t receive benefits.
You do have a little bit of time before you file a claim. You have two years after the workplace injury to put in the claim. As long as you file within that time, you can still receive benefits from workers’ compensation.
6. Hire an Attorney
You should retain an attorney with experience in workers’ compensation cases. Your attorney can answer all of your questions.
Filing a claim and taking all the steps to get benefits can be confusing if you’ve never done it before. It can add a lot of stress to your situation.
Your attorney can walk you through the complicated process of filing your claim and make sure that you receive all your benefits. A Reasonover Law personal injury attorney can be very reassuring.
The whole process of figuring out what to do after a workplace injury can cause a lot of grief. You may already be in pain or stressed because of loss of income. Minimize the stress when you hire an attorney.
7. Keep Your Own Records
You’ll have to tell your story often. You must stay consistent. In order to remember the details, you should start keeping records right away.
Your records should include as many details about the accident as possible. Who was there, what was happening around you, and how the accident occurred could all be important details.
If you include the name of people who were around when the job accident occurred, they can give their accounts of the accident. These witnesses may be able to provide details that you didn’t notice or you forgot.
Other details you should include in your records may be details of your health care visits, conversations, and meetings with your employer. You can update your records with information as you remember it but keep a date of when you added the information.
Give Your Workplace Injury Claim Your Full Attention
If you’ve had a job accident, whether minor or major, it could be tempting to put off dealing with it. There are so many things to take care of and it can be hard to fit them into your everyday life.
It’s important that to give your claim your full attention, though. If you are not able to give your claim all of your attention, for whatever reason, make sure you have a good attorney.
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