Workplace accidents are a fact of life. This may sound a bit grim, but the fact, nevertheless, remains the same – no matter how hard the owners try to improve work conditions and set up contingencies for any eventual accidents or Workplace Injury, the slight chance of something going wrong always looms above the workplace.
If you are working in any kind of manufacturing industry or spend enough time in industrial facilities, you need to be aware of these risks and take active steps to make sure your rights are protected and you get fair compensation if some workplace accident does occur.
So, let us take a look at some of the strategies you can take to mitigate these problems and get full legal protection if you encounter some unfortunate workplace incident.
Be sure to consult with HR
Most companies that truly care about the well-being of their workers have implemented a workplace safety program that outlines how employers and workers should behave in an emergency situation. If such a plan, however, doesn’t exist or the procedures for reporting accidents are not clearly outlined, HR should be the first company instance where you should report the injury. In the case of such accidents, speed is usually the key to getting the compensation claim approved. Immediately reporting the issue to HR and documenting the report will cut the time until you are waiting for medical reports.
Visit a medical professional
The outbreak of COVID-19 affected the business world in countless ways. One of the consequences is that health services have become easier to access and workers have become more inclined to seek medical help even for situations they haven’t previously considered. So, use this situation to your benefit. As soon as you suffer any kind of workplace injury, pay a visit to the medical professional and determine the severity of your injury and are you experiencing any kind of disability. For some disability diagnoses (TTD, PPD, and PTD) you may be eligible for disability payments that will help you cover medical expenses.
Consider filing a lawsuit
As we stated in the introduction, workplace accidents are something that can occur even in spite of the best efforts on behalf of the employer to prevent them. But, if you have any suspicion that your accident occurred as a result of negligence and oversight, you should consider seeking help from a professional workman’s comp attorney and, if possible, file a lawsuit. Why do you need professional help? Well, your claims need to be properly examined and be able to withstand legal scrutiny, which in turn requires a solid legal background. So, don’t try to face this issue without consulting with an experienced attorney.
File a compensation form
When workplace accidents occur, people are too preoccupied with their mental and physical well-being to consider all the nuances of the legal system and compliance with labor and workplace safety laws. Don’t ever lose these things out of sight because your compensation will ultimately depend on how thorough you took the legal actions. So, take some time to research the compensation forms issued by your local government so you know what steps you need to take when the troubles come knocking at your doors. Also, consider that minor injuries also feature some time limits so act with due diligence.
Make your return to work plan
This is yet another instance that could be helped and encouraged by the company’s internal culture of safety and written personnel wellbeing procedures. However, if such written procedures don’t exist, the workers need to take care of the issue themselves. Keeping that in mind, we would like to remind you that getting the injury compensation is not in itself the goal but rather an asset that should help you engage in rehabilitation and get back to the workplace as soon as possible. Therefore, consult with your legal advisor and see how these funds can be used in the most productive and beneficial manner.
Be aware of the private investigators and surveillance
Yes, as unfortunate as this may sound, the serious injuries and drastic compensation claims may cause insurance companies to play a bit dirty and disapprove your claims by whatever legal means possible. In some cases that will include the private investigators poaching your friends and family and trying to extort some out-of-context statements that can be used in court or keeping you under surveillance. It would be good to research how these methods can disprove your claims and prepare yourself for all the trials and tribulations. This is yet another case where you can get a lot of help from the attorney.
Final comments
We hope these few tips will help you make sure you get proper compensation if you experience any kind of workplace injury. We are living in very uncertain times where too many things can hurt our personal and professional well-being. Workplace injuries are one of the rare situations where you will be able to get some sort of recoupment. Don’t miss this opportunity and take all necessary steps to file for compensation as soon as you sustain any kind of accident.
