This puts a terrible financial burden on a family. If you’ve recently experienced an on-the-job injury, not only could your health and well-being suffer, but so could your finances. Here are some tips on how to make sure you recover financially after a workplace injury.
Hire an Attorney
One of the first things you should consider doing is hiring an attorney. According to Oaks Law Firm, a group of San Bernadino attorneys that specialize in personal injury cases, as distressing as it may sound, the possibilities for personal injury are virtually limitless. Because they are limitless, you want someone in your corner that can help you keep your ducks in a row and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Keep Accurate Records
It’s important for you to keep accurate records of everything related to your workplace injury.
This includes witness names, the circumstances of the injury, what your actions were, the condition of the work environment, and whether or not any requests or safety reports you made to your employer were ignored.
Keep precise records of all appointments, treatments, procedures, and expenses you incur.
Collect Supporting Evidence Immediately
In the immediate aftermath of an on-the-job injury, you might not be able to take pictures of the work area or yourself. However, it’s important for you to collect as much evidence as possible in order to support your workplace injury claim.
If you are taken to the hospital by an ambulance, the emergency room physicians may take images to document your injuries.
If possible, try to remember who may have witnessed your injury. Many workplaces have cameras. If you believe that a camera could have recorded your injury, contact an attorney. The attorney can subpoena the evidence and make sure that it isn’t destroyed.
Follow All Doctor Recommendations
When you’ve been injured on the job, make sure that you follow all doctor recommendations. If your surgeon tells you to go to physical therapy for six months, make sure you don’t miss a single appointment.
Your follow-through on all medical care, prescriptions, and follow-up visits could make a difference in the amount of compensation that you receive in a negotiation or settlement with your employer.
If you don’t follow through with what your care team tells you to do, the insurance companies might assume that your injuries aren’t that bad. This could end up affecting your physical and financial recovery.
File Paperwork and Claims on Time
If your job qualifies you for worker’s compensation, make sure you file your paperwork and claims on time. There are time limits that you and your employer have for submitting information to the worker’s compensation insurance fund.
Your employer is obligated to report all workplace injuries, and the timeline for doing so is brief. You must also notify your employer and the worker’s compensation insurance agency in writing about your injury.
Failure to do so could disqualify you from some forms of compensation. If your injury is so severe that you can’t file your claim within the guidelines, an attorney can help.
Consider Ongoing Health Treatments
Even after broken bones and soft tissue injuries heal, you could still have ongoing expenses. After an amputation, you may need a series of artificial limbs or mobility devices. If you had an eye injury, you might need ongoing therapy and costly glasses.
other valuable tips:
What Exactly is a Personal Injury Case and How to Use One for Financial Aid
The trauma of a workplace injury could cause the need for therapy or counseling for many years after the event. By hiring an attorney who can handle workplace injury cases, you can rest assured knowing that your settlement will take into account your future medical and mental health expenses.
Don’t Forget the Impact on Your Family
According to the Laborers’ Health & Safety Fund of North America, a worker’s on-the-job injury causes a considerable amount of stress on their family. Family members experience a 34 percent increase in fractures, sprains, and joint dislocations in the three months after the workplace injury.
The family members could be getting hurt by providing physical care for their injured loved one or by taking on extra household tasks that they don’t normally do.
After a workplace injury, your primary focus should be on your physical and mental recovery. Hiring an attorney allows you to place all of your efforts on your health and well-being.
The attorney will handle all of the legal aspects, negotiations, and settlements. Working with an attorney to handle your financial recovery provides you with peace of mind and a reduction of your stress.
Image Credit: workplace injuries by Pixabay
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