Hello, I'm Karla Mitchell. Going through a legal case can be very expensive and challenging. I won't go into details, but I recently underwent my own legal battle that lasted several years. It is finally over and I successfully received a settlement, but I had to spend so much time studying law in order to play my role in my own court case. While I found a great attorney at one point, I felt completely lost initially and I don't want anyone else to experience the same thing. So I decided to create this blog for those who would like to know more about law.
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The human body is vulnerable to many potential mishaps, particularly at a place of work. People get caught up in what they're doing, fail to see a hazard before it's too late or simply experience an unfortunate set of events which leads to physical harm. One of the most important things you can do if you are hurt on the job is to address the legal aspects of the situation, right after you address the medical. Here's how to proceed, protecting yourself both now and in the unforeseen future.
1. Acknowledge Your Injury Right Away
Even if you're the type of worker to fight through pain and discomfort, stopping at nothing to get the job done, be mindful of a potential injury. No matter how strong your will, if you're hurt, the consequences can eventually be devastating to both your life and financial situation. Inform your supervisor immediately and take the necessary precautions, such as ceasing work and applying first aid as needed.
It's also important to ask your supervisor for the paperwork you may need, if the injury turns out to be something serious.
2. See Your Doctor And Fill Out The Proper Forms
Whether or not you get the sense that you're hurt badly, have your physician check you out. Tell them exactly what happened and how you're feeling as a result and ask for their opinion on how quickly you should expect to heal and the possible side-effects of your injury. If it's more than obvious that you are, in fact, severely injured, be sure and take every precaution as quickly as possible.
Tell your work that you will be out for a period of time, see that every appropriate person signs your documentation, including your doctor and start making preparations to heal at home, however that will be achieved.
3. Talk To Coworkers And Other Witnesses
Be sure and include witnesses as you make a plan for dealing with the situation at hand. Even if your accident was cut-and-dry, unless it was videotaped and you have access to that film, request statements from everyone who was present. Make notes of what you were doing, if you were instructed or trained to do it, the equipment involved, inside conditions, such as a wet or dirtied floor and any other factor that influenced your getting injured.
4. Don't Be Quick To Talk To The Insurer
No matter what, avoid making any direct statements to your employer's insurance company, especially if it's being recorded. You really don't know how they may use that information in the future, but it's a pretty safe bet that they don't have your best interests in mind. It's an insurer's job to avoid being liable; thus, any and all data they collect could be used against you.
Although it's best to maintain good relations with your employer, particularly if you enjoy working for them and intend to return to your job once healed, be wary of insurance reps.
5. Do Seek Legal Counsel
Once you've been examined by your physician and have a handle on your medical situation, you need to consult with a worker's compensation attorney, such as one from Prediletto, Halpin, Scharnikow & Nelson, P.S. They will be able to answer all your questions and advise you on the best course of action to take next. Whether you expect to be out of work for a short or long time and whether or not you expect to seek additional compensation for your hardship, such as through a lawsuit, you need to know what you're rights are and how to act quickly in your own best interests.
6. Follow Through With Medical Treatment
Because you are involved in a potentially complicated legal matter, always follow your doctor's orders exactly. If you are discovered to be violating medical advice, it could be perceived that you're not really hurt or to the extent that you're claiming. Besides the legal grind you're facing, you also want to nurse your injury according to proper medical procedures, so that you can heal as quickly as possible.
Injuries have a way of bearing down on your body later on or even sooner, if you don't take good care of them and you really can't anticipate how extensively such an injury will affect you for the rest of your life.
Even if you're the strong, silent type who doesn't like to complain or hasn't missed a day of work in a decade, you owe it to present and future self to take any injury at work very seriously. Adequately address both medical and legal aspects of the situation and cover every base in doing so. There's really no way to tell how this event will impact you from here on out.
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