What Should You Do if You’re Injured at Work?

Workplace injuries are, unfortunately, quite common. But what happens when someone is injured at work? What should they do if they need medical treatment – and how do they claim workers’ compensation benefits? To answer these questions, here is an overview of how to handle injury or illness at work.

Getting Injured at Work

A workplace accident is any injury or illness that occurs in the course of someone’s employment. Common workplace accidents occur due to:

• Falling objects
• Leaks and exposure to chemicals
• Moving machinery and equipment
• Repetitive stress e.g. tendon injuries
• Trips, slips, and falls

What Happens if You Get Injured at Work?

A workplace accident can have many consequences.

• You may need time off work, which results in lost wages.
• If your injuries are complex, you might not be able to return to your old job.
• The return to work, especially after a long-term injury, can be stressful.
• In severe cases, you may be unable to work at all.

Given how serious these consequences can be, you need to know what to do if you’re hurt on the job.

What to Do if You’re Injured at Work

If you’re hurt at work, don’t panic. Stay calm and work through the steps below, one at a time.

1. Notify Your Employer

Tell your employer immediately if you’re hurt on the job. This ensures that there’s a record of the incident and you can begin the process of filing an accident claim.

• If you don’t tell your employer about the accident, they might try to deny that it happened.
• If you can’t tell your employer right away, you only have 30 days to notify them.

2. Seek Medical Attention

Next, get medical help. Even if you don’t feel badly injured, some injuries take time to develop. Get the medical care you deserve, and make sure you understand whether you need time off to recover.

3. Know Your Rights

Injured workers have various legal rights in Texas. The most significant rights are:

• If your employer has workers’ compensation insurance, you can file a claim for benefits. These benefits help to cover your losses e.g. medical expenses and time off work.
• If your employer does not have workers’ comp cover, you might be able to sue them for negligence. Making a personal injury claim means suing for damages to cover your injury-related losses.
• If something else caused your injury e.g. defective equipment, you might be able to sue the manufacturer. This is known as a product liability claim.
• You have the right to hire an attorney and choose your own doctor for workers’ comp purposes.

An injured employee should never feel intimidated by their employer. You have legal rights – don’t be afraid to use them!

4. Gather Evidence

If you’re filing a workers’ compensation claim, you don’t need to prove that your employer caused your injury. However, you might need evidence to prove, for example, the extent of your injuries. And if there’s no workers’ comp coverage, or you’re suing another party, you might need evidence for your claim.

Keep a hold of anything you might use to help your claim, such as:

• Employment records
• Lost income
• Medical records
• Pictures of your injury and the accident scene
• Receipts for out-of-pocket expenses

5. Call a Workplace Accident Attorney

Workplace accidents are complicated. The best thing you can do for yourself is to hire an attorney as soon as possible.

An attorney will ensure that you know your rights and they’ll communicate with insurance companies on your behalf. They’ll help you access any vocational rehabilitation you need, and they’ll ensure you don’t miss any filing deadlines.

Hiring a lawyer lets you focus on recovery, rather than dealing with stress of workers’ compensation claims.

What Happens if I Need Time Off Work?

If you’re off work due to your injury, you may be entitled to workplace benefits. Workers’ compensation benefits include:

• Temporary income benefits
• Impairment income benefits
• Medical benefits
• Burial or death benefits (if an employee dies from their injuries)

If your employer doesn’t have workers’ comp insurance, other benefits may be open to you.

You may also need rehab or therapy to make a full return to work. Your attorney can explain what benefits you might claim and how to claim losses such as medical expenses.

Workplace Accident Attorneys in Texas

Have you been injured on the job? At the Alexander Law Firm, we know how stressful a job injury can be. Our attorneys are experienced at handling work-related injuries and getting clients the damages they deserve.

There are no risks to calling us for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Schedule a consultation today!