Workplace injuries affect millions of employees annually and can change peoples’ lives forever. Knowing what to do after you sustain a work injury is vital in ensuring you receive the proper medical care and compensation you deserve.
Familiarizing yourself with the first steps to take after a work injury before any incident happens can help you react quickly if you do become injured on the job.
Seek immediate medical attention
The most important step after any injury is to get medical care as soon as possible. Prioritizing your health by seeking prompt care can help prevent your injuries from worsening. Even if you think you were only minorly hurt, have the paramedics and other health care professionals assess you to rule out any internal injuries or underlying problems.
Report the incident
After getting the proper medical attention, your next step involves reporting the accident and injury to your employer. It is vital to act quickly in reporting your injuries, as there often is a deadline to file a claim. Your employer should then give you instructions on officially reporting the injury. When filling out the appropriate claim forms, provide as much detail as possible about the incident and the harm you sustained.
Document everything
Keep a record of all employer correspondence, messages from insurance companies, medical appointments, prescriptions and treatments related to your work injury. Note the dates of doctor’s visits, any diagnosis received and days of work missed due to the accident. Additionally, take progress pictures or videos of your injuries to document the healing process.
Dealing with a work injury may seriously interrupt your life, but you can protect your health and rights by taking the proper first steps post-accident.