You've Just Been Injured At Work, What Happens Next?

Picture Source

An injury at work can happen to anyone. We are not just talking about someone on a construction site or in a dangerous environment. Any work environment can be dangerous if the proper safety measures aren’t being used. Even if they are, accidents will happen and we’re sorry if you have been on the end of one. This is why it is important for business owners to keep health and safety levels high. But, we’ll get to blame a little bit further down. For now, it’s important that you understand the steps you should take if you have been injured at work.

Tell Someone

Depending on how bad the situation is, you might be in a position to tell a superior what has happened. If you’re not you have to ensure someone else does it for you. This isn’t tattling, it’s a legal responsibility and remember, you’re not casting blame. You are alerting the proper channels there has been an accident in the work place. Generally speaking, this will usually be a health and safety officer. They will write down in the records that an accident has occurred. You must make sure they do this because it is a legal requirement and imperative to any future case you may or may not have.

Don’t be naive at this point. They will already be looking to try and pin the blame on an individual rather than a company. They are most likely going to try to make that individual, you.

Speak To A Doctor

Again, depending on the injury you might think this is just attention seeking. But no matter how big or small the injury is, you need to get it checked out by a medical professional. Look at this way, you might have slipped and fell but not noticed any injury.  When someone falls, they do not always remember that they hit their head. You could have a serious case of concussion and not even realise it. Your safety should always be the top concern.

Did Anyone See?

If there were witnesses then you have to get their accounts recorded and written down. Be aware the company will be doing their own investigation so if possible speak to them first. Do not try and lead their answers. Get the most valid statements you can and then take picture of where the accident took place. Don’t rule out a business owner changing the scene to make it look less dangerous than it actually was.

Find An Accidental Injury Attorney

At this point, you need to be thinking about whether you want to take things further, legally. If you have been seriously injured, and you were not to blame, we imagine you do. Find an attorney using Legal Services Link and sit down with them.

Discuss every aspect of the incident and get their professional opinion on whether you have a case against the company. If you have been loyal to the company, you might feel guilty about doing this. Don’t forget the owner will be going through the same procedure with their legal representation.

Accidents at work can be a nightmare for the victim so don’t rule out claiming compensation. Particularly, if the accident has left you unable to work.