Though the number of injuries in workplaces has dramatically decreased in recent decades, incidents unfortunately still occur – especially in construction, agriculture, and manufacturing settings. Injuries at work are particularly stressful to deal with, not just because you’re likely in a lot of pain and are worried about recovery, but also because you’re also concerned about the professional ramifications.
That’s why we’re here to provide you with a clear checklist of what you need to do after a workplace accident. Juggling your health, professional life, and legal rights can feel overwhelming, so without any further ado, let’s jump in.
Be Seen By a Medical Professional
Your health needs to be your number one priority, so before you even so much as think about your employer or getting legal support, go to the hospital. If the injury is serious and you’re in urgent need of medical attention, either call 999 to get an ambulance, or ask someone else to. If your injury doesn’t seem to be severe or serious, you absolutely still need to go to the hospital, as lots of serious injuries still initially present as being mild early on.
Report the Injury To Your Employer
Once you’ve been seen by a medical professional and you have an understanding of what your injury is and what your path to recovery should look like, then the next thing you need to do is inform your employer. This can be either your direct line manager, an HR representative, or another senior figure in the company.
In the majority of workplaces, you’ll follow the health and safety protocol and officially log the injury through official company channels. Employers that have at least 10 employees are required to keep an accident book for this precise circumstance.
Keep Track of Evidence
Just in case you need legal support from a legal firm, like Bond Turner, down the road, it’s best that you log your evidence on the go. Take photos of your injuries, as well as the site of the incident itself, with specific attention paid to the hazards that might have led to your injury.
Write down a witness statement that summarises the event that occurred, as well as statements from other witnesses, like colleagues or visitors, that can help your case – make sure you have there full names and contact information logged.
Finally, make sure that you document the exact amount of financial loss you’ve accrued because of the injury, like the time spent out of work recovering and expenses related to treatments, prescriptions, and scans. Keep the receipts from all of these expenses.
Seek Legal Advice
Whether you want to proceed with legal action or not, it’s important to first properly inform yourself on the reality of your situation. You should do so by talking to a legal professional who specialises in injuries of this nature all the time, like personal injury solicitors in Liverpool.
Final Thoughts
Injuries at work are anxiety-inducing because they overwhelm people with health, professional, and legal concerns. Hopefully, this article has helped you learn how to prioritise these aspects and the steps you can take to put the injury behind you.