The first 24 hours after a work injury are a very critical time for your health and your ability to collect compensation for your injuries. There are a number of things you’ll want to make sure you do to protect your financial interests and get the medical attention you need. There is no specific order that you’ll want to complete the following tasks, but you’ll want to check all the items off your list as soon as possible following your injury. In today’s blog, we look at a couple things you need to do or consider within the first 24 hours after a work injury.
Work Injury To Do List
Here’s a look at some things you’ll want to do within a day or two of suffering an on-the-job injury. Again, how you go about accomplishing these tasks will vary based on the type of medical attention you require, but it’s important all these items are considered in a timely manner.
1. Seek Medical Attention – Not only will you require medical attention for your health, but you’re not going to be able to collect compensation for your injuries if there is no professional medical documentation to back up your injury claim. Seek out an evaluation by a physician of your choosing, or through an urgent care or emergency department. The sooner the better.
2. Report Your Injury – Even if your company appears to be aware that an incident occurred at work, you need to officially file a report with human resources. Odds are they’ll have you help complete a “First Report of Injury” or similar form. This helps to establish a clear timeline of events, provides a paper trail and ensures that management is aware that one of their employees has taken the first steps in reporting and collecting injury compensation.
3. Talk With A Lawyer – Once you’ve received care for your injuries and reported the incident to management, you’ll want to start looking around for workers’ compensation lawyers. Your employer has insurance for this exact reason, and as an employee, you are guaranteed injury protections and financial compensation in the event of an on-the-job injury. Don’t feel bad or worry about repercussions for filing for compensation. Sync up with a lawyer, learn about your options and let them handle all the complexities of the case while you focus on improving your health.
4. Witnesses – If any coworkers or third-party witnesses saw the accident, make sure you get their contact information or have your lawyer reach out to see if they’ll provide a statement. Evidence preservation is key, so if there is anything or anyone who can verify what happened, do your best to help collect that evidence or make it easier for your lawyer to do so.
5. Check-In – Depending on the circumstances of your accident, odds are your employer and your coworkers are hoping for a positive update. While it’s not as high priority as some other items on the list, many employees find it helpful to reach out to management with an update or share news of their condition with a close coworker. This can help provide others with peace of mind and stop the rumor mill before it starts. It can also help to begin a conversation with management about how much time you might miss so they can start making arrangements for your absence and your return, which will be helpful for all involved.
If you can do all of the above things within the first 24 hours, your workers’ compensation case will be off to a great start. For more information or for help with your case, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today.
