What Should I Do if I’ve Been Injured at Work?

No matter what job you perform or where you work, there is always a risk that you may be injured. You can take every safety precaution imaginable, but sometimes that one in a million shot ends up with you being injured. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having been injured at work, you may be entitled to worker’s compensation benefits and a good worker’s compensation lawyer can help you get all of the money that you deserve.

What are Common Occupations that Lead to Workplace Injuries?

In short: injuries can occur in any workplace. However, there are some jobs that come with an increased risk of injury, whether due to repetitive motion, the use of heavy machinery, or many other factors:

Office Jobs:

Individuals who work in an office where they sit and type all day can sustain injuries such as carpal tunnel or neck and back injuries due to poor posture. While these injuries may seem minor, they can create long-lasting complications and difficulty in completing work and activities of daily living.

Construction Workers:

Individuals who work with heavy machinery or need to lift heavy objects frequently throughout the day are at high risk for injury. There are certain protocols that can and should be implemented to reduce injury risk; however, accidents do happen.

Emergency Medical Personnel/Paramedics:

Those frontline workers who have to lift people from awkward angles or perform CPR on unconscious individuals are at risk for workplace injuries. Emergency Medical Personnel may be trained and certified by CPR training facilities like Oakville CPR Courses, but they themselves are also at risk of being injured due to the nature of their work. These workers can mitigate some of the risks by practicing good body mechanics and keeping themselves healthy, but there are some situations that they just can’t prepare for, which may lead to injury. There are obviously many different types of work that can lead to injury, and a qualified worker’s compensation lawyer can help you navigate the system, regardless of the nature of your injury or the nature of your work.

I’ve Been Injured at Work, What’s My Next Step?

As has been said, work injuries and worker’s compensation cases are difficult to navigate. Your employer may try to claim that you:

Were not actually injured at work;
Are faking your injury;
That they didn’t know you were injured;
Or something else that may weaken your case down the road.

While you are not legally required to, it is a good idea to consult with a worker’s compensation lawyer early in your case to make sure that you are not pressured into signing away your rights or forced into another job which may invalidate your worker’s compensation claim.

Bottom Line:

If you’ve been injured at work, don’t wait: call a worker’s compensation lawyer today. These cases get very complicated very quickly and it’s unlikely that you will have the same resources or understanding of the process that your employer does. With a good worker’s compensation lawyer, you can rest assured that your paperwork will be filed correctly, you’ll get paid on time and in the correct amount, and that your rights will be protected. Read Also: