The moment after a work injury can be very hectic, but if you have a plan in place, you can handle it with relative ease.
The moments after a workplace injury can be very confusing. This kind of event is generally not something people plan for, so when it happens, they aren’t quite know what to do. They commonly make a bad decision like trying to “tough it out” and keep quiet. For a variety of reasons, this strategy is a very bad idea. Here are five things you should do after a work injury.
Examine the Injury
The first step is to understand the injury you have just sustained. Depending on the task you are doing and the machinery you are working with, injuries can be anything from a pulled muscle to a life-threatening wound. When you get injured, honestly assess yourself and decide how dire the circumstances are.
Get Appropriate Help
Once you have assessed your injury, you can decide what kind of help is appropriate. For anything life threatening, that means a trip to the hospital. Excessive bleeding or excessive pain usually characterize these kinds of injuries. If the injury is not severe, you can opt for simple first aid on the scene and enlist a doctor in the future.
Report the Event
For two primary reasons, it is imperative that you report your injury right away. The first is that you want to strengthen your potential workers’ compensation case. If you wait weeks, months, or years to inform your employer of a workplace injury, they will have a much stronger case for dismissing it. When you report right away, you document the exact moment you sustained your injury, and you bolster your case. The second reason is that you want to report the details of your incident with complete accuracy. When time passes, memories become foggy and inaccurate. You can avoid this and ensure accuracy by reporting right away.
See a Doctor
Another thing you should do as soon as possible is see a doctor. Not only will this will ensure that your physical recovery is on track, but an immediate medical examination is also a useful tool in workers’ compensation cases.
Talk To a St. Louis Work Injury Lawyer
No matter how severe your injury was, it is best to plan a consultation with a law office. They will answer your questions, provide expert advice, and fight for you to get the benefits you deserve.
The moment after a work injury can be very hectic, but if you have a plan in place, you can handle it with relative ease. Remember that your health comes first. If the injury is severe, you need to get to a hospital right away. If it is less severe, start going through the steps listed above. Once your health is under control and you have reported the incident, you should speak with a St. Louis workers compensation lawyer. After a workplace injury, you need to do everything you can to get happy, healthy, and taken care of. These five steps will help you do just that.