Rayanne Morriss https://www.emeryreddy.com 3m 713 #workplaceinjury
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
The image source is Pexels.
No matter the type of injury you receive, your life can change dramatically afterwards as you engage in the healing process and receive the medical care you need. A workplace injury can cause you even more confusion in your life, however, as you will likely have to be out of work and have to go through an extensive claims process. These accidents can happen at any time, so it is important to be prepared for when you face an injury yourself, if you do. TO learn more about what life will look like after your workplace accident, consider the information provided below.
1. Medical Care Comes First
Before you do anything else, it is essential that you seek out medical care, no matter how minor you think the accident could have been. There could be internal problems like a sprained muscle that you didn’t even know you faced, or even a concussion or other traumatic brain injury. If you face an injury that is life threatening or particularly severe, you will likely need to call emergency personnel so that you can get assessed and to the hospital as quickly as possible. If it is not an emergency, you will need to go to an urgent care center or schedule an appointment with your own physician.
2. Making the Report
Other than seeking medical care, the most important thing in your life for your workplace injury will be filing the report. For example, L&I Washington laws require your employer to provide workers’ compensation insurance to you, so ask your company about their process. You can also talk with a personal injury attorney to have them process the claim for you so that you can minimize your stress. When the report is approved by the insurance company, you will receive the compensation for any lost wages and the medical expenses you incurred.
3. Keep Communication Key
Even when your claim has been reported, you will need to communicate with everyone involved in it as often as possible. Your top priority should be rest for your injury, but make sure you provide as frequent communication as necessary so that first, your employer can provide you the help you need. Make sure that you communicate too with any co-workers who are completing some of your tasks so that you can all ensure every project is accounted for. Keep in contact with your medical team too so that you can know that you are healing as you should.
4. Determine How and When You Will Return to Work
You will work with your insurance company and your employer to determine how and when you can return to work. Eventually, you may be able to enroll in an actual return-to-work program in which you can perform modified tasks. If you are able, you can complete these tasks in the office, or your employer may allow you to work from home. This program is especially important to keep you busy and give you an income if you expect a long healing process.
5. Prevent Future Accidents
After you permanently return to work, make sure you take every opportunity possible to prevent future accidents from occurring. Talk with your employer about updates they can put in place so that others do not get into the same accidents that you get into. Make sure that you look at the rules of Washington state to understand the precautions your company should have in place anyways so that you can make sure you follow these rules. This is a great way to work together with your employer and take care of your co-workers too.
Final Thoughts
Workplace injuries happen all the time, and they literally cause a disruption in your life at a moment’s notice. Immediately after the claim, you should get the medical care that you require so that you can begin to heal and should file the claim in order to get the compensation you need. Make sure to constantly work together with your workplace to ensure future safety precautions are put in place and that they know what your plans are for future work. If you intend to return, you can even try some modified tasks for a while until you feel comfortable going back to your full duties.
(
