You may dread the very thought of being injured at work. However, despite your best precautions, you may not be able to prevent getting hurt at work and suffering an injury that requires you to take off work to recuperate. It is no secret that companies disdain the idea of workers taking time off to recuperate from work-related injuries. When employees make claims against their employers’ workers’ compensation insurance, these companies experience a rise in operational costs.
Many workers fear retribution from their employers, such as a reduction in hours or even being fired. You can protect your employment and make sure that you recuperate from your work-related injury when you take several important steps after your accident.
Seek Medical Treatment Immediately
If you are hurt at work, your employer cannot tell you not to seek medical help. If they do so, they are in violation of the law. As such, you should harbor no fears about seeking medical help. You can go to your local emergency room or the medical clinic that is affiliated with your employer’s insurance. Having your injury documented by a medical professional will bolster your claims of being hurt at work.
Follow Your Doctor’s Orders
If your doctor orders you to rest and recover, it is vital that you do not violate those orders. If you try to go back to work too soon, you could re-injure yourself and even aggravate your injury. Even more, you may give your employer reason to doubt your claim of being injured. If your physician suggests resting and avoiding your workplace, you should adhere to those orders fully and avoid the temptation to go back to work.
Hire a Lawyer Immediately
After you seek medical help, your next move should be to hire a workers’ compensation lawyer. Your lawyer can lay out the best plan of action for you to take to make sure that your employment is not jeopardized by your injury. He or she will know the laws in your state and make sure that every aspect of your case follows these laws perfectly.
If you suspect that your employer is punishing you by reducing your hours, cutting your pay, or by encouraging others at work to treat you harshly, you can have your lawyer investigate these actions and take the appropriate steps to protect your job and earnings. If you have reason to pursue your accident in court, your attorney can also help you file a lawsuit or negotiate a settlement to your benefit. As Auger & Auger, a North Carolina attorney provides, while workers’ compensation is supposed to protect every worker, employers and insurers sometimes fail to live up to their legal obligations.
Take Care of Yourself and Focus on Your Recovery
When you hire a lawyer, you can be assured that the most difficult aspects of your case will be dealt with by a professional who is unfazed by any strong-arm tactics your employer may try to use against you. Allowing your attorney to advocate on your behalf gives you the freedom to rest, recuperate, and follow through with any physical therapy your injury requires. You can take care of yourself while your attorney moves your case forward.
When you have been injured at work, your first fears may lie with your job being jeopardized rather than recuperating from your injuries. You should not have to fear retribution from your employer. You can protect yourself and your job by taking key steps, including hiring a lawyer to help you.
Writer Melanie Fleury understands how important it is to have job security. If you are injured on the workplace and need assistance, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer. Her research uncovered that the laws governing worker’s compensation work differently than personal injury, and that at a workers comp firm like NC’s Auger & Auger, an attorney can determine what you are eligible for and what compensation you deserve.