After being injured at work, you are probably hurting and somewhat confused. If your injury is serious enough that you may be out of work for a few days, weeks, or even months, fear may be settling in as you wonder what you will do. While you may be in pain and in a state of shock and confusion, take care not to make the following mistakes after you are hurt at work.
1. Neglecting to Report the Injury Right Away
After the incident when you were hurt, you may be reluctant at first to call attention to the accident and decide to wait to report the injury either at lunchtime or the end of the day. You may believe that you can get in a few more hours of work, or you may be afraid that you will get in trouble for getting hurt.
However, if you neglect to report the injury right away, it could hurt your case if you are injured enough to be out of work and have to file a worker's compensation claim. If you do not say something right away, your employer may say that you obviously were not hurt enough to need immediate attention, and therefore, should be able to work.
2. Delaying Seeking Outside Medical Treatment
If you do report the injury as soon as it happens, your supervisor may ask you if you need emergency medical attention. Or, they may send you to the nurse's station at your place of employment. If this is the case, say that you wish to go to the emergency room and decline seeking care through your workplace. For starters, you never want to delay medical treatment, as you could be hurt worse than you think you are. Also, if you were to delay going to see a doctor, your employer could later say that your injuries were received after you left work.
And, even if you opt to receive care, you want a third-party opinion about your injuries that will be unbiased. If you only go to the nurse's station at work, since they are under the employ of your company, they may acknowledge your injuries but try to say you can still work. Along with the above mistakes, you also do not want to try to file a claim without legal representation to help guide you through the process and intercede with your employer on your behalf. As soon as possible after your injury, contact an office that offers workers compensation attorney services to set up a consultation.
For more information, contact a company like Spooner & Perkins P.C. Attorneys at Law.