Five Things You Need To Do Following A Workplace Accident
Being injured at work can have many consequences for you and your family. In addition to the physical pain and suffering you may experience because of your injuries, you also incur emotional and financial damages. To protect your right to recover compensation for injuries and losses caused by a workplace accident, it is important that you take certain steps immediately after the accident. Our California personal injury attorneys discuss the important steps you need to take following a workplace accident in this article. If you have questions or you need advice, we encourage you to contact our office.
Five Things to Do After Your Workplace Accident
- File an Accident Report
When an accident occurs at your place of employment, you should be entitled to recover workers’ compensation benefits. Therefore, you need to report the accident to your supervisor or employer immediately. All workplace injuries should be reported, even if you believe the injury is minor, to protect your right to file a workers’ compensation or third-party claim.
- See a Doctor Immediately
For serious injuries, go directly to the emergency room to seek medical attention. For non-emergency matters, you need to see a doctor as quickly as possible following the workplace accident. Make sure that you inform the doctor that the injury is related to a workplace accident. Also, inform your employer of the name and contact information for your physician.
- Complete Required Workers’ Compensation Forms
Your employer should supply the documents you need to begin a workers’ compensation claim. If your employer refuses to provide the forms or to file a claim with its workers’ compensation insurance provider, you should contact our office. In addition, if the information on the forms you are requested to sign does not appear to be correct or you feel uncomfortable, you should contact our California personal injury attorney immediately.
- Make Notes and Collect Evidence
If your accident involved a product, another person, or occurred while traveling for business, you may also have a third-party injury claim. As with any personal injury accident, you should keep detailed notes about what occurred before and after the accident. If possible, take pictures of the accident scene and ask the eyewitnesses for contact information. For an injury caused by a product, it is important that the product, packaging, and the manufacturer’s instructions are preserved. Because a repair of the product could erase evidence, you should contact our California personal injury attorney immediately to discuss steps for a workplace accident involving a defective product.
- Follow Your Doctor’s Treatment Plan and Continue Your Injury Journal
It is very important that you follow up with your doctor and follow the treatment plan. You need to keep all doctor appointments and obtain written work excuse or work restrictions. Keep copies of all documents you give to your employer or its insurance provider. An injury journal can be very helpful if you need to file an appeal or a lawsuit. Your journal should include information such as:
- The dates you missed work;
- Your doctor’s visits;
- Mileage traveled to and from doctor’s appointments;
- A summary of all conversations with any party about your injury or accident;
- Daily pain level;
- The challenges you face because of the injury, such as activities you cannot perform or functions you cannot attend; and
- Any other relevant information about your workplace accident.
Do not share your journal with anyone other than your California personal injury attorney.
Get Some Good Advice From a California Personal Injury Attorney
Our California personal injury attorneys have experience handling workplace accidents. Contact us today to learn how our team can help. We offer free consultations to discuss your case and how to move forward.
Posted in: Workplace Accidents