Fall injuries are common at workplaces, and employees may encounter them even in the safest offices. The outcomes of a slip and fall mishap can be daunting as the victim could sustain fractures, spinal cord injury, or traumatic brain injury. As an employee, you must be careful about avoiding them in the first place. But you may still get into a mishap and sustain injuries in the workplace.
You must know about your legal rights to claim compensation from your employer and get your life back on track. Here are the facts you must know about claiming compensation for these injuries.
Get medical attention immediately
You must get medical attention immediately after a fall mishap, even if there are no visible injuries. Your employer cannot prevent you from seeing a doctor, even if they have a designated first aid officer at the workplace. Not letting the injured employee seek medical care is a breach of the law, and you can sue your employer for the act. See a doctor without delays for treatment and detailed records of the injury and its treatment.
Notify your employer
Besides getting quick medical attention and treatment after the fall accident, you must notify your employer. Ensure to record all vital details in the accident books. Do not forget to mention the cause of the accident, whether it happened due to a slippery floor, an obstruction, or lack of maintenance. Check the details and sign the records only after ensuring they match your version of the incident.
Seek legal advice
Before filing a compensation claim, you must seek legal advice. It becomes all the more crucial if your employer seems uncooperative or angry about the claim. Moreover, being pitted against an insurance company that will do everything possible to deny or limit your claim is daunting. A personal injury lawyer can help you maximize the Compensation for a fall injury at the workplace.
They calculate a fair value by including the cost of treatment and lost wages and ensure you get it.
Be regular with medical appointments
Being regular with your follow-up medical appointments is crucial for more than one reason. It keeps you on the right track to recovery because severe injuries require regular check-ups, physiotherapy, and rehab sessions. Also, you must keep records of these sessions to ensure compensation for them. Your employer has to release you for attending these sessions once you are back at work.
Take time to recover
Fall injuries can be severe, and victims need time to recuperate. Your employers should have no qualms about giving time off to recovery. You can seek legal advice if they push you to rejoin too soon or pressurize you with termination due to the inability to work. Calling an unfit employee to work is legally and ethically wrong. It endangers their health and increases the chances of another mishap at the workplace. You can also request the employer to let you perform lighter duties during the recovery phase.
Providing a safe workplace is an employer’s responsibility. If you sustain fall injuries due to your employer’s negligence, you can file a claim and get the compensation you deserve. But make sure you get a legal expert to handle the case.