Workplace accidents can happen unexpectedly and leave individuals in a state of shock and confusion. After an accident, it is important to take the appropriate steps to safeguard your legal rights and ensure future safety for you and your colleagues. Now, let’s learn about some crucial actions to take.
Seek Medical Attention
If you have been injured in a workplace accident, it is crucial that you seek medical attention. Especially if you have been severely injured, your safety and medical treatment should be your number one priority. While you may not initially consider your injury to be severe, there is potential for the on-set of your symptoms to be delayed. Therefore, it is important to seek medical attention after your injury, just in case, as having medical documentation will be important if pursuing a workers’ compensation claim or taking your case to court.
Alert Your Employer About the Accident
After you have received medical attention, it is important to notify your employer about the accident. This will be important for a couple of reasons. First, it will be essential if you are pursuing workers’ compensation benefits. Timely reporting of your accident is important, as most states have laws that require you to report your accident within 30 days. In California, for example, a workplace injury must be reported within 30 days of the incident.
The second reason that reporting your accident to your employer is crucial is so that management can help reduce the future risk of another workplace accident. Hopefully, your workplace should have an effective system in place where you can easily report the incident. However, the system will prove ineffective if there are no actionable results.
Capture Evidence of the Scene
If possible, you will want to gather evidence before leaving the scene of the accident. Of course if you are severely injured this shouldn’t be your first priority. However, capturing evidence from where the accident occurred and taking a written account of when, where, why, and how the accident happened will be helpful if you are pursuing a worker’s compensation claim or taking your case to court.
Returning to Work
If you have suffered a work injury that leaves you unable to work for more than a few days, it is important that you take the necessary steps to return to work. You will first want to consult with your medical professional to ensure that you are cleared and healed enough to return to work. Maintaining open communication with your employer about your plan to return to work is also beneficial, as it will help ease the transitional period.
Contact a Lawyer
After you have taken the necessary aforementioned steps, you will want to seek the help of a lawyer. An experienced Los Angeles work accident attorney who is well versed in the legal realm and is familiar with the various workers’ compensation laws can help guide you through the process and assist you in obtaining maximum benefits. Protecting your rights and ensuring your safety should be a top priority.
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