No one plans to be hurt at work. These are things you should know to do right after you are injured, so you must know them BEFORE you are hurt at work. Knowing these things before the injury can help you avoid very common mistakes we have seen committed by injured workers over the years after experiencing a work injury.

There are three things that are crucially important for your case if you are injured at work to do very soon, if not immediately, following the injury. Doing these three things can save you from a host of issues in the future. If you do not do these things properly, you can run the risk of not qualifying for workers’ compensation. You may risk not receiving wage loss or payment of medical bills if these steps are not completed properly.

First, you will need to report the injury. This is what we refer to as the “notice requirement.” Assuming your employer knows about an injury will not suffice if the claim for injury is challenged. Telling only a coworker about the injury will not suffice if the claim for injury is challenged. You must report that you sustained an injury while working directly to a supervisor to satisfy the notice requirement. It is always preferable to have this done in writing, but that is not required. You should discuss with your attorney the best way to report your injury.

Second, you should seek out medical treatment as soon as possible. It gets a bit complicated as to which doctors you can start treating with, and you will want to discuss this with your attorney, but receiving medical treatment as close to the injury as possible is important. The physical examination and diagnosis provided by a medical professional can be hugely impactful to the case. A delay in medical care can cause issues with the case down the road.

Third, it is important to keep your employer informed about your medical status. If you do not inform your employer about work restrictions or planned surgeries, they will be unable to prepare or accommodate you. While it may not be necessary to inform them of every single update, there are certain things you should keep your employer informed of. There may also be things that your employer does not need to know. These things will be important to discuss with your attorney.

If you have more questions, you can check out our video or contact the firm to speak directly with a lawyer today.