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As a parent, you want the best for you and your family when it comes to everything that you do in life. Having a steady job where you have constant income coming in is the best way to keep financially sound. What happens if you get hurt at work? A serious work-related injury not only sidelines you, but it can put you in a tight spot with your job. Here is what you must do to protect yourself when you sustain an injury at work.
Tell Your Supervisor Immediately
As soon as the accident happens make sure your supervisor knows that you have been injured. Having a full record of what happened while it is fresh in your mind is the best way to keep the facts straight so that if you need to take legal action, the truth has been recorded. This is also a great thing for your supervisor to know so that workplace corrections can be made to prevent anyone else from being injured performing the same task. Using things like unigloves, can help prevent a bad cut before it happens. These are great for working around sharp objects.
See a Doctor Right Away
Even though you may feel fine, go to the doctor right away. A lot of times the full extent of an injury doesn’t present itself immediately after an accident. If you can, leave work after the accident and see your doctor, go to an emergency room, or go to an urgent care center. This way, you can know if there is more to your injury than what you are currently feeling. Having this knowledge will help you get the proper course of treatment so that you can heal faster and have your health issue addressed before it gets worse.
Apply for Workers’ Compensation
By law, your job has to provide you with workers’ compensation so that you can stay home and heal from your injury without losing pay. Although you may feel fine, it is best to stay home and rest for a few days to ensure that you are okay. Your human resources representative or your supervisor can point you in the right direction on how to fill out the forms and who should receive those forms. This is when it is advantageous to have reported the accident right away because you will have all the proper facts to add to your report.
Consult a Lawyer
Just for your own safety, consult a personal injury attorney. Consultations are usually free and they can give you all the information you need to know your rights and what to do in the event that your job won’t give you compensation or may try to illegally fire you. These attorneys at The Law Offices of Nathaniel F. Hansford, LLC can help you with your claims and how to properly approach your job or any other departments when it comes to your report, your accident, and the facts surrounding your injury. By taking all of these steps, you will have an ironclad case, and it will be harder for anyone else to take advantage of you or try to take away your current employment position.
