When You’re Injured At Work, What Next Steps Can You Take?

A work injury isn’t just something you have to physically recover from. It has the chance to put you out of work for a long time – and sometimes, it may even mean you can never return. 

Being in pain, out of work, worried about your finances, and trying to focus on your recovery can cause a lot of emotional trauma in the long run too, which can also make it very hard to feel like yourself again. 

All of these potential problems make it incredibly important to know what steps to take after an accident occurs in the workplace. You need to be aware of the best next steps you can use to both protect yourself, your income, and your chances of compensation. 

Here’s a quick guide. 

Make Sure the Accident Has Been Reported

After any medical assistance has been provided – either on-site or at the hospital – make sure the accident has been reported properly to your workplace supervisor. 

Make sure you do so in writing, as it’s best to leave as much of a ‘paper trail’ as possible. Emailing them to confirm anything that was said in person can usually do the trick here. 

Similarly, if your workplace has an accident log, double check that this has been filled out as well.  

Collecting your own evidence

Speaking of a ‘paper trail’, it’s also a good idea to collect your own evidence about what happened and why. 

For example, photos of the accident site and any equipment that was involved. And if there were any messages sent regarding the accident, create a copy of them. 

Keep All Proof of Expenses

This is all to do with any hospital or clinic trips you’ve needed, as these can potentially all be claimed back from your employer whether or not you have a compensation claim against them. 

Make sure you get receipts or copies of bills and keep them with your other evidence. 

Speak with a Lawyer

That’s the final step in the immediate aftermath of a workplace accident. You need to make sure you prioritize your own recovery first, whether or not you’ve needed any serious medical intervention. 

Give it at least a couple days until you’re feeling okay to talk about what’s happened and then reach out to a personal injury lawyer. 

And make sure you contact a few lawyer offices to find a team that feels right to work with, or if you have any support or access needs. 

Foreign language lawyers are also available, if you need one. An abogado de lesiones personales can be more helpful if Spanish is your first language, rather than English. 

Outline what happened, provide the evidence you’ve collected (including the details of any co-workers willing to speak up for you), and be honest about the physical and mental damage you’ve been left with.

When you’re injured at work, there’s a lot you can do to help yourself. Create a report, collect evidence, and find a lawyer for your case.