There may come a time when you find yourself sustaining an injury at work. In those instances, it is crucial to clearly understand what you need to do when a work-related injury occurs. Determine your legal options, the benefits you qualify for, and what to do after the injury happens.
Common Injuries in the Workplace
A handful of injuries are more likely to happen on the job, especially if you have a job that requires a lot of hard labor. For example, the most common work-related injury results from a fall. This happens most frequently among construction workers.
These falls could result in various injuries, such as broken bones, brain or spinal cord injuries, and sometimes even death. Suppose these injuries are due to defective equipment, carelessness, or unsafe working conditions. In that case, you should contact the best injury attorney to ensure you get the best benefits available.
Another common injury that can happen in the workplace is those that occur over time. For example, if your job requires repetitive motion, you could find that body part damaged after a while. These repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel, bursitis, and tendonitis, are a direct result of performing the same movement over and over again.
There is also the potential to suffer from various back injuries, especially in jobs that require manual labor, such as carrying, holding, lowering, lifting, and placing different items throughout your workday.
What To Do After an Injury
If you have sustained an injury on the job, you must notify your supervisor immediately after the damage has occurred. The way to report may vary depending on your state, but if you fail to report your injury within the state-mandated time frame, you may lose your right to worker’s compensation.
After informing your employer of your injury, you will need to ensure you receive the necessary medical attention to ensure you heal. Your employer will also need to tell their insurance carrier of your injury so they can begin filing a claim with the state worker’s compensation board.
Benefits You Should Qualify For
When you sustain a work-related injury, you should qualify for certain benefits. Firstly, you should be compensated for all your medical expenses related to the damage suffered. This includes doctor appointments, hospital stays, prescriptions, surgery, or medical equipment.
You should also be compensated for any lost wages while you are recovering. Most of the time, you should receive two-thirds of your weekly salary. If you find that you are disabled from the injury, there are various benefits you should acquire. These include temporary disability; whether that be total or partial, these benefits are usually given for a limited amount of time. Whereas permanent disability, total or partial, means that you should receive continual benefits through your workplace.
Finally, death benefits are given out to family members when an employee is killed on the job. This way, they are compensated for the loss of wages they were getting through your employment.
Workplace injuries can occur. This is why you must understand what to do and what benefits you are entitled to.