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Things to Do If You've Had an Accident at Your Workplace

websitebuilder • March 28, 2022

If you're a victim of workplace injury, your life can become challenging in many ways. You may find yourself forced to be away from work for an extended period or may lose your capacity to work altogether. Income loss and large medical bills may also result from a workplace accident.

Your experience will be less stressful if you know what to do immediately after a workplace accident and further down the line. Read this guide to know what to do after an accident at your workplace.

Get First Aid

Most workplaces have at least one employee trained in first aid for accident response purposes. Your workplace should also have a first aid kit. Immediately after an accident, have someone do first aid on you. First aid can prevent an injury from becoming worse, so have a trained colleague administer first aid immediately after the accident.

Seek Medical Treatment

Although the injuries you may have sustained may seem minor, they may become worse if left untreated. After an accident, you may also have underlying injuries that you don't know about, so visit the doctor for a check-up. A doctor can verify the extent of your injuries and give you a medical report of your injuries. That report will come in handy when you file for compensation.

Have a colleague accompany you to the hospital. They can be a witness if you decide to claim compensation.

Report Your Injuries

Reporting your injuries gives you credibility and will be important if you decide to file a compensation claim. Report your accident to your colleagues if you were working alone when it occurred. This is important because your employer and other insurers may dispute your claim if there is an investigation.

A corrupt employer may pressure your colleagues to deny the incident. Therefore, you should also report your accident in the accident book. Some employers avoid reporting accidents in the accident book because of workplace-accident reduction targets. Therefore, you must take it upon yourself to ensure your accident is on the company record. If your employer refuses to record your accident, write or email them so there's evidence that you tried to report the accident.

Another party you must report your injuries to after a workplace accident is your manager. In many workplaces, reporting an accident to your superior is required in the staff or procedure manual, so failing to report your accident to your supervisor could be considered a breach of work protocols.

A workplace accident attorney can help you establish whether your employer neglected their duty to protect you from and record any injuries at the workplace, which can strengthen your claim.

Take Photos and Videos

When you report your injuries, a dishonorable employer may try to discredit your claims. Therefore, photo and video evidence are crucial in a workplace-accident compensation claim. Take photos and videos of the accident site if your employer will not penalize you for it. Additionally, have photographic evidence of your injuries. Ensure all your photos and videos have dates to prove you took them on the day of the accident.

Ask a Colleague to Look Out for You at Work

While you are away recovering from your injuries, your employer may try to cover up what happened. Ask a trusted colleague to update you on any changes that may happen at your workplace and record the facts of the accident.

Record Your Injuries and Treatment Expenses

If the nurse or doctor did not record your minor injuries when you got to the hospital, you might have difficulty attributing them to the accident. Remember to maintain an updated record of all your symptoms from the day of the accident to prove your claim. Additionally, record all treatment expenses so you can file for compensation on them in your claim.

If you have been in a workplace accident, the attorneys at Spooner & Perkins, P.C., can help. Contact us today for a free case assessment, and if you need further legal representation, we will be there for you.

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