What To Do When You've Been Injured At Work
If you've been injured at work, hopefully your co-workers got help for you right away. Whether you fell off a ladder and broke your leg, got hit by a falling object and hurt your head, or you were injured in a car accident while doing a delivery, you deserve to be treated correctly by your employer.
Document Everything - If you're able to, you'll probably be asked to fill out a form provided by your employer. Be sure to write everything down, even if it may not seem important to you. That documentation may be vital when you're trying to get a settlement. Take pictures of where you were injured. In addition, get somebody to take photographs of your injury. Were there witnesses? A written statement by each witness may become very important, too.
What You Should Expect - Hopefully your employer will acknowledge responsibility in the payment of doctor's bills and hospital bills. In addition, you may be compensated for time lost at work. In many cases, you may also receive compensation for pain and suffering. Your company's insurance agent will help you with forms and will be there to answer questions as things are settled. Again, obtain a copy of every bill you receive and keep it in a file. Even if you aren't sure which papers to keep, file them.
Obtaining A Personal Injury Lawyer - Of course, do all you can to work things out with your employer to come to a fair resolution for your injury related problems. However, if you feel that you are not being treated correctly by your company, it may be time to take further action. Is there a mediator at work that can help you? Is there a person with more authorization that can step in to help? If not, consider hiring a personal injury lawyer. Here are some guidelines regarding costs that might be helpful.
- Don't pay any fees up front. Instead, expect to pay a fee to your personal injury lawyer only if your case is handled successfully.
- In most cases, the lawyer accepts a fixed percentage of the final settlement amount.
- If your lawyer isn't successful in obtaining a settlement, you don't pay the lawyer for services rendered.
Good luck as you resolve the problems resulting from your injury at work. For additional help with your legal issues, contact a legal office like Swartz & Swartz P.C.