It can be very hard to think clearly in the immediate aftermath of an accident. You may feel as if you are in shock as your adrenaline races and your heart pounds after a frightening accident. Or, your accident could be much more mundane, such as tripping over an exposed wire that should have been taped down, or pulling a muscle in your back while mopping the floor. Either way, you may be left wondering what to do. Knowing what steps to take just after you experience a workplace injury can make your Workers’ Compensation claims process far easier. It is advisable to speak with an attorney as soon as possible so that they can provide further instructions and begin gathering the evidence they may need quickly. Unsafe conditions in a workplace are often corrected very promptly once they have injured someone, and your attorney will likely want to preserve evidence of the original condition.
Steps to Take the Day of a Workplace Injury
Many workers who experience an injury while on the job elect to take a “wait and see” approach to managing the situation. These workers may not say anything right away, but rather, wait to see if their injury feels better on its own in the next day or so. Unfortunately, taking this course of action can make obtaining Workers’ Compensation more difficult or even result in a denied claim.
If you are badly injured, the first thing you should do is call 911 or have another person call on your behalf. If your injury is less urgent or less severe, then your first step should generally be to report the incident to your employer according to their procedure. While you may not want to “make a big deal” out of your injury, reporting what happened can help preserve evidence that your injury happened at work. Even if you are not sure whether you will want to file a claim, this step is highly important.
Next, you should seek medical attention. This generally means going to urgent care or the emergency room depending on the severity of your injury. Receiving prompt medical evaluation not only gets you the treatment you need, but provides needed evidence of the physical harm you have suffered.
It is also very important to contact an attorney the same day you are injured if at all possible. Your case may depend on the prompt preservation of evidence.
Contact a Springfield Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
[[title]] can act quickly on your behalf to preserve the evidence needed to obtain Workers’ Compensation. Our seasoned Springfield Workers’ Compensation attorneys will do all we can to help you win the compensation you need. For a free initial consultation, please contact us at [[phone]].
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