What Should I Do If I Was Injured at Work?

Work injuries happen every day for many different reasons. While high-risk jobs like construction and industrial work see the most severe injuries, accidents can happen in any field, including an office job.

If you were injured at work, you might wonder what to do next, especially if you have had to take time off to recover and medical bills are piling up. Hiring an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in South Carolina can save you from going through this process alone.

The Most Common Workplace Injuries

Some accidents occur from entirely unforeseen circumstances, which lead to severe injuries. While these situations do come up, there are more common incidents that someone might experience at their workplace, including:

Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are among the most common ways to get injured at work. These injuries can occur for several reasons, like icy weather, poor lighting, tripping hazards, and more.

Machine Accidents

If your job requires the use of heavy machinery, as used in the agriculture and construction fields, accidents caused by close proximity to these dangerous machines can lead to severe work injuries.

Vehicle Accidents

When your work requires vehicles such as delivery trucks, tractor-trailers, garbage trucks, emergency response vehicles, farm equipment, or passenger cars, a higher rate of injuries is usually tied to it. Accidents like being hit by a vehicle, falling from a vehicle, or even getting crushed underneath one all lead to severe injuries.

Fire and Explosion Accidents

Fires and explosions typically involve tragic accidents with a high number of casualties; at the very least, these workplace injuries are severe, if not fatal.

If you’ve experienced injuries from one of these accidents or from one of the many not mentioned, it’s important to act quickly after the incident. So, what should you do?

Next Steps After Being Injured at Work

After getting injured at work, there are two steps that should be your highest priority to accomplish.

1. Receive Medical Attention

If your injuries were severe enough, you may have been sent to the ER immediately following your accident, in which case this step is obvious and has already been followed. However, if you have less emergent injuries and are unsure if medical attention is necessary, you should not skip this step. No matter the degree of injury, you need to receive medical attention immediately and should never skip seeing a doctor for any reason. If your employer was unaware of the accident, you also need to report it to them before going to the ER or urgent care.

After filing for workers’ compensation, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier will have a list of doctors you can see that are covered under their policy. These doctors are the best to see as they are certified to treat injured workers.

2. Report The Accident

Telling your employer immediately after you have been injured will ensure that an accident report gets filed quickly. When urgent medical care is necessary, you may be unable to do much more than verbally report your injuries after the accident. However, you must remember to provide your employer with written notice. According to S.C. Ann § 42-15, you may receive a denial of benefits if you fail to report your injury or condition to your employer within 90 days.

Speak with A Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in South Carolina Today

When it comes to your workers’ compensation claim, there are a number of mistakes that can lead to the denial of your claim. Getting the help of an experienced attorney can ensure this doesn’t happen, allowing you to receive the full compensation you are entitled to. At the Hammack Law Firm, we believe you shouldn’t have to struggle for the benefits you are owed, and we make it our mission to fight for your claim so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Call us at (864) 428-7591 to receive your FREE consultation today!