No one wants to find themselves injured in the workplace, but it’s a common thing that occurs whether you’re being highly cautious or not.
From a lack of risk assessments to freak accidents, when you find yourself injured in the workplace, it’s important you’re making the right calls and following the relevant processes needed to ensure you get what you deserve. Here are five common mistakes injured workers make when filing for workers’ compensation.
Not reporting it quickly enough
If you’re delaying your report of any injury, no matter how big or small it might be, then making a claim later down the line might prove difficult.
This could make your efforts in getting rightful recognition or compensation difficult, which is not a great position to be in, especially if you have to take time off work for long periods of time.
It’s therefore important that you report the injury as soon as possible, and severe injuries should be addressed immediately.
Downplaying any injuries
Injuries are something to be highly mindful of when they happen because not all injuries will present themselves straight away.
Some injuries might be more severe than you think and could be something that impacts your ability to work in the current job or any job that you might have in the future. It’s good to be honest and accurate in your reporting of injuries, paying close attention to any other injuries that crop up in the days following.
Not seeking out legal counsel
Legal counsel should be something you seek out when you think you’re being taken advantage of or when there are situations where compensation is deserved. There’s a lot of guidance for injured workers out there, so it’s improtant to take a look at what you might be entitled to as part of the injury that was caused because of someone else’s negligence.
It’s important that you’re taking out legal advice and counsel if you need it, so that you can get what’s deserved with the support of legal professionals who know what they’re talking about.
Lack of medical advice
A lack of medical advice can often be damning when it comes to a workplace injury. If you’re not getting the injury checked out by medical professionals, a seemingly innocent injury could end up being more dangerous than it first appears.
It’s always best, therefore, to seek medical attention from healthcare professionals in order to rule out any potential underlying problems.
Not documenting the accident
Whenever an accident happens, it’s important that you make a personal effort to document the events that have occurred. Otherwise, you’re just relying on the accounts of the employer or your peers, which might be somewhat distorted or not entirely truthful.
Consider documenting the accident in full so that you have your own accounts to present if needed. The more detailed you can be with your events, the better.
These common mistakes are worth avoiding if you find yourself in a situation where you’re injured and require workers’ compensation.