If you have an accident at work and are injured, keep your wits about you. You may have trouble figuring out what to do next. While the steps might seem obvious when you’re not panicked or in pain, in the moments after an injury, you may need simple reminders of what to do.
Here is a quick guide for what to do after an accident at work:
Fill In The Incident Book
Every company and business is required by law to have an incident book. This is a record of all accidents and injuries that occur in the workplace. Other incidents such as heated disputes between colleagues should be recorded in here too. It is very important that you fill in the book with details of your injury as soon as it happens. This can then be used as evidence at a later date if needed by a third party.
See A Doctor
Even if you don’t think your injury is particularly bad, you should still book an appointment with a doctor to get checked out as soon as you can. That way, the injury will go onto your medical records which can also be used as evidence in the event that you do go onto claim for compensation or take your employer to court.
Related: Recovering from a Career-Risking Injury
Consider Claiming Compensation
If the accident was not your fault, you should receive an apology and some compensation from your employer. More often than not, they will settle this privately. However, if they do not and refuse to pay anything to you, then you might want to think about contacting an accident attorney to see if you could take your case to a compensation court. The lawyer will take a look at your case and all the evidence you have, as well as any statements from witnesses, to see if they think you have a chance of winning. If so, they will represent you throughout the process.
Don’t Rush Back To Work
You might think that it is better to try and get back to your job as soon as possible, even if you haven’t completely recovered. Unfortunately, though, doing so could work against you in your claim for compensation. A compensation payout is normally to cover any losses you incur from not being able to work – if you are seen to be fit and able in the workplace despite your injury, your whole claim might fall through. So, be sure to take the full amount of time off that your doctor gives you, or else you could lose out on all your compensation!
