When You're Injured At Your Job, What Do You Do?

10 July 2017
 Categories: Law, Blog


Going to work each day may have been uneventful until you were injured in the middle of your day. As you recover, a multitude of decisions must be made. Will you file a claim? Will you sue the company? Will you seek out a different job? Can you work again? Being overwhelmed is not uncommon, but if you're able to pay attention to these tips first, you may find that your path forward is clearer:

1. Find Out How Long You've Got to Make a Decision

The injury, recovery and emotional toll you experience after a work injury can make you want to withdraw from the entire situation. It's normal to avoid all calls or correspondence related to work while you focus on your body and your personal feelings for a while. However, this can affect your own ability to legally move forward, if you should choose to do that. There are likely some time limits that apply to you and your situation; ignoring them could mean that you sabotage your own settlement or standing in court.

To find out what these limits might be, you can contact attorneys or get in touch with your employer's insurance carrier.

2. Talk with Human Resources

You may discuss your situation with your co-workers or immediate manager, as you spend the most time with them during your work day and feel confident you can trust them. However, it's rather important that you do not get all of your information with them. That's because they might unwittingly provide information that isn't accurate or correct. To ensure you're properly informed, talk with the company's human resources department. You might also want to get an additional copy of the written employee manual or at least the part of the manual that deals with workers' compensation.

3. Be Mindful of Being Watched

All insurance companies conduct their own investigations to make certain that people aren't defrauding them with their claims, Some of these companies enlist private investigators who do some digging to check people out. These investigators could read everything you post on social media or appear on the street of your home looking for signs that you're acting "fine." Be aware that this could happen and conduct yourself in public spaces accordingly.

Your life after you've been hurt may change, but with these suggestions, the claim process might be easier to cope with. Retaining a qualified workers' comp attorney is another smart move that can make this less stressful for you.


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