Steps to Take When an Injury Happens at Work
When you are at work and you get hurt, there are 7 things you need to do right away.
This is a quick list that will make it easy for you to make the right decisions.
At the same time, this is also a good list to share with other people if they are not sure what to do because they have just been hurt.
You should remember this, write it down, and try to tell as many people as possible.
You have rights, but you are going to lose those rights if you do not use your head when you are trying to get better and you get hurt at work.
Report The Injury
Retaliation at work for reporting an injury is illegal under federal law.
That’s it. That’s the best thing you can do. You need to report your injury to your supervisor.
Every state has a different way of reporting injuries and how long you have before benefits kick in.
If you wait too long, you will lose your retroactive benefits. If you wait even longer, you cannot file a workers’ comp claim at all.
File A Workers’ Comp Claim
You should file a workers’ comp claim immediately. Your employer should have some kind of insurance or a fund that will pay for your injuries.
This means that you will get your injury into the system, and they can send you to a doctor who will take care of you. If they do not do that, they are violating the law.
If you are employed by a company, and you get hurt at work, you have a right to get your workers’ comp claim filed.
Go To The Doctor
You need to go right to the workers’ comp doctor. You need to know that you are being treated, and you need to have a paper trail that is going to show that you got treatment.
You are going to look very fishy if you are hurt one day and no one knew about it or you did not go to the doctor like you were supposed to.
Go Back To Work Only When Told To
Do not go back to work until you are told to. You need to get clearance to go back to work, and you should not be forced to go back to work too soon. If you are, your employer is violating the law.
You deserve to know that you can recover fully, but you cannot do that if you are supposed to go back to work when you know you cannot get the job done.
File A Disability Claim when Injury Happens at Work
If you can no longer do your job, you need to file a disability claim.
You also need to make sure that you do it right because it can take a long time to get SSDI or SSI depending on what your circumstances are.
Some people need a lawyer to help them.
Hire A Lawyer
Powers and Santola along with many other law firms are going to represent you when you have been hurt at work but your employer is not doing what it should do.
You can file a complaint against your employer for retaliation, for denying your claim, for forcing you to go back to work, or for claiming that you do not qualify.
This is a very big issue because you need to get your injuries paid for as soon as possible.
If you do not, you could be even more disabled, in debt, and not know what to do.
Fight For Your Rights if Injury Happens at Work 
Allow your attorney to fight for your rights. You need to hold everyone accountable for your injuries, and you need to make sure that you are classified properly as an employer.
Moreover, you need to show that your injuries were a part of your work even if you were off the clock.
Your lawyer can invoke several federal laws to make your case stick.
Contact a lawyer and follow the steps listed above when you have been hurt at work.
Most people do not know what to do, and that is why you need to review this list and be sure to follow the steps carefully.
