How To Proceed After You’ve Been Injured At Work
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Worker’s compensation laws exist for the benefit of both the employer and the employee. These laws help the employer by preventing them from being sued by an employee who becomes injured on the job. They benefit the employee by providing money for medical bills and living expenses quickly rather than waiting to settle a claim through litigation. If you’ve been injured while on the job, there are a few things you should know about how to proceed.

Always File An Injury Report

Anyone who gets injured at work must report the incident as soon as possible. No matter how the injury occurred, or how minor you might think the injury is, the employer must be made aware of the event. In the state of Florida, worker’s compensation laws require that an incident be reported within 30 days to the employer or the employee’s supervisor to ensure adequate coverage. But the sooner an incident is reported, the better.

Delaying a report can cause the eyes of suspicion to fall upon the injured party. There might be legitimate reasons why a report is delayed, such as an injury that requires immediate hospitalization or not realizing the severity of the injury in the moment, but some people fail to file a report because they think that it will upset their employer. Don’t let this be a reason for your failure to report an incident. Overall, employers know how the worker’s compensation laws work, and they understand that it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to reporting.

Talk About Every Single Pain You Feel Now–And Later

When speaking to a doctor about your injury, it’s important to tell them everything that you feel. You might have a sprained ankle and a minor abrasion on your forearm. Typically, the area that hurts you the most gets the most attention, so your focus might be on your ankle. You might not even think about the abrasion, but it’s still important to let the doctor know about it. No matter what happens during a workplace incident, from banging your knee to stubbing your toe, report it all.

Additionally, some injuries do not make their presence known until days after the incident. You could wake up with severe pain in your back, knee, or other area of your body. That abrasion on your forearm could develop into a serious skin irritation. Whatever you feel, make a call to the doctor to report symptoms. You might require additional medical treatment.

When You Report Back To Work

Always follow your doctor’s treatment plan. When your doctor clears you to return to work–go. Staying home after you’ve been given the green light won’t look good for you if you decide to pursue a worker’s compensation claim. It can be seen as a voluntary loss of income, and you won’t be able to recoup those lost wages when the claim settles. Your employer might also see it as an opportunity to fire you. Even if you don’t feel that you can perform the job adequately, you should at least go and give it a try.

Some workplace injuries can disrupt your life. You might need to seek legal advice to ensure that you are getting fair compensation for the depths of your injuries. If handling a worker’s compensation claim on your own is too difficult, don’t hesitate to acquire legal representation to walk you through the process. It helps to have someone who knows the laws and how to get through the system without causing you even more pain and suffering.