Have You Been Injured at Work?
Have you been injured at work recently and aren’t sure what to do about it? Depending on your employer and how they responded to the incident, it’s possible that you feel they’re partly blaming you. However, if that seems unjust to you, then it can be causing emotional distress along with the shock and pain from the injury itself.
Here are some relevant points to consider if you’ve recently been injured at work and aren’t sure what comes next.
How Have You Been Treated?
If an employer and co-workers haven’t been at all sympathetic to the injury sustained at work, then it’s easy to feel blamed. When it comes to personal injuries, employees are responsible for their conduct. For instance, if a floor is wet and slippery, but there’s a yellow sign advising about the wet surface, then you’re responsible for moving slowly around the area. Just careening through, ignoring the sign, and falling doesn’t usually leave you with a (legal) leg to stand on.
Could the Accident Have Been Predicted?
Life happens. Sometimes, you’re walking through the warehouse to speak to the Warehouse Manager who’s out on the warehouse floor, and something happens. A product box that was on the edge of some shelving suddenly falls over the edge and onto your shoulder. If it’s heavy enough, it could even shatter your shoulder or cause internal damage to the joint. But could this have been reasonably predicted? If it couldn’t, then the fault likely doesn’t lie with you.
Has Your Employer Agreed to Cover Any Medical Treatment?
If an ambulance has had to be called and medical treatment was received at either a local clinic or hospital, who will be footing the bill? A personal injury claim will need to be filed by the employer to report the accident. However, the employer may wait to confirm official culpability before deciding to offer compensation. This may leave you out of pocket in the interim.
The cost of medical care may have to go on your credit card or be left as an outstanding medical bill for the time being.
Knowing Your Rights by Being Properly Represented
The trouble with injuries at work is that the employer tends to control the process. It’s difficult for an employee to know their rights in the situation. This is where a personal injury lawyer comes in.
A firm that specializes in injury cases, like Hill and Moin personal injury lawyers New York City area, is clear about the state law relating to personal injury. They’ll be familiar with similar cases, likely compensation rewards, and more. Also, they can advise how to proceed to protect your rights going forward.
Before you worry that an employer won’t take kindly to your being represented, understand that companies are not allowed to treat you poorly because of a compensation claim or eventual lawsuit. Also, don’t discount the impact of growing medical bills because they’re one of the most commonly cited reasons for personal bankruptcies.
Don’t sit and accept a personal injury at work. However severe the injury is, there’s usually something that can be done to improve your situation.
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