No one goes to work expecting to get involved in an accident or sustain any kind of injury, but it’s an unfortunate fact of life that incidents can occur anywhere, including the workplace. If you’ve been injured at work, you are not alone. Research shows that 12,600 people get injured every day while on duty. Anyone can be at risk for a workplace injury, but some jobs and industries are more prone than others.
IMAGE: PEXELS
Some of the high-risk professionals are:
- Construction workers: Falls from rooftops, ladders, and scaffolding are common. Construction sites and falling debris also make this a high-risk profession.
- Healthcare servers: Healthcare workers often get injured, mainly due to lifting patients.
- Law-enforcement and emergency servers: While we depend on these people to protect us, they are at constant risk. Although they are trained for dangerous situations, accidents do happen.
- Factory workers: Operating machinery can be hazardous and cause serious injury to operators.
Strains, sprains, and tears are the most common injuries resulting in a loss of workdays. These are closely followed by overexertion, coming into contact with objects and equipment, and falls, trips, and slips.
A workplace injury doesn’t differentiate between age or gender. Young workers are at risk because they tend to take jobs that their older counterparts cannot do which could involve a lot of physical strength. On the other hand, older adults are more prone to injury from slips or falls.
Many workers and employees might feel they were the ones at fault for the accident that caused them the injury. They are not aware that they might not have been trained properly to do a certain task, or that the machinery they are using is outdated and dangerous. In similar situations, the employer should be held accountable.
In many other cases, you don’t have to prove who was at fault, you just have to prove that you were injured. This no-fault workers’ compensation system is meant to protect employers from getting sued, but it doesn’t provide the maximum compensation for the injured party.
When an injury happens, you have the right to receive full compensation that covers your medical bills and lost wages.
Types Of disabilities
The type of disability you have suffered will determine the compensation.
- Temporary total disability: For a limited amount of time, you are disabled from work completely.
- Temporary partial disability: For a limited time period, you cannot perform certain aspects of your job.
- Permanent total disability: You can no longer work at all.
- Permanent partial disability: The disability partially impairs you from work or from doing certain tasks.
How To Go About Making A Claim
Contact A Lawyer
Your best line of defense is a strong offense. The best way to go about this according to the experts at SeerdenLaw.com is by utilizing the help and expertise of a licensed, personal injury attorney who will build you a strong workers’ compensation case. Legal issues can get very complicated and chances are you won’t understand what a compensation case entails unless it is explained to you by a lawyer. So, be sure to find an experienced attorney who specializes in similar cases, they will know how to successfully handle your case based on your particular circumstances.
Notify Employer
Your employer must be notified immediately. Putting off informing them can hurt your case. When you wait too long, it will be difficult to convince your employer or the insurance company that you have a legitimate reason for claiming compensation.
File Your Claim Quickly
Notifying your employer is completely different than filing your claim. These claims have a statute of limitations, meaning they must be filed within a certain time-frame to receive compensation. The statute of limitations may differ from state to state.
Be Specific
To receive maximum benefits, you have to be specific and consistent with your claim. Make sure that you have access to all your medical records. If at some point you switched doctors, you will need your medical records from both the old and the new ones. Remember that an insurance company will go over your claim with a fine comb, and may try to minimize the compensation you’re entitled to. This means that you have to be specific in describing how the injury happened.
Even if you have a desk job, the risk of injury is always present. While dealing with minor injuries can be managed between you and your employer, serious injuries may require the help of an attorney. When you depend on work to financially support yourself and your family, your entire life can be disrupted —either temporarily or permanently— because of a work injury. This is why you have to understand your rights to receive maximum compensation.
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