Becoming injured at work is more common than you think, but regardless of how commonplace they are, accidents are still uncomfortable occurrences you want to avoid. After all, becoming wounded and taking time off from your regular activities is not pleasant. You’ll have to undergo a recovery period, and you’ll likely have to take medical treatment and even follow a rehabilitation period depending on the extent of your injuries.
Despite the most careful safety precautions, you may still become the victim of a workplace accident. If this happens, you need to take a few necessary steps to get back on track as fast as possible and ensure a smooth recovery process.
Medical assistance
The first and most important thing you should do after an injury is getting the medical attention you need. This is regardless of the gravity of your situation. If your injury is nothing severe, you may be tempted to brush it off and carry on working as if nothing happened. After all, it seems like no big deal. However, you must seek a physician’s advice. Even if the doctor confirms that you were right and your injuries are completely harmless and will heal by themselves with no problem, don’t consider it a waste of time. It’s always better to be safe rather than sorry regarding health.
However, some severe injuries can also disguise themselves as harmless wounds. In some cases, symptoms can only appear a few days afterward, such as in the case of internal bleeding. The signs of haemorrhaging can show up many hours after you’ve suffered the accident and are typically quite serious. For this reason, it’s good to have a practitioner check your condition to rule out anything dangerous or life-threatening. Even minor slips and falls can result in internal injuries or concussions. The sooner you become aware of them and begin your treatment, the faster you recover without any leftover damage.
Report the injury
After getting the proper medical attention, the next step is to report the incident to your supervisor. It’s important you let the workplace know what has occurred no later than seventy-two hours following the incident. When you’re giving an account of what happened, ensure you include as many details as you can remember. Describe where you were and what you were doing at the time of the accident. The circumstances are also important. For example, did you slip on a wet floor or trip on a loose rug on the way to your desk? Did you become injured lifting a heavy box or operating heavy machinery? All of it is important to paint the full picture of what happened.
Some injuries can also result from chronic damage rather than a one-time event. For example, if you work in tech, you might experience back or joint pain due to the long hours you spend sitting at your desk. You also run the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome due to the repetitive motion of typing daily for hours on end. This syndrome, which can often only be cured via surgical intervention, causes numbness, pain and tingling in your hands and fingers. Similarly, if you are employed in construction and spend your working days doing a significant amount of heavy lifting, you can experience injuries to the shoulders and back. Pulled muscles are another complaint, and, more seriously, spine or disc injuries can occur, which are not only painful but can also be detrimental to your overall health and welfare.
Sometimes, a specific injury can cause the damage to extend. For instance, if you’ve hurt your ankle, that can cause your gait to change, which can in turn cause hip strain and, by extension, hip injury. Although you didn’t directly injure your hip at the workplace, this condition can also be covered under the larger umbrella of occupational injuries.
File a claim
Sometimes your workplace injury is the direct result of a workplace safety protocol that was not closely followed. In this case, you may be eligible for compensation. When filing a claim, it’s essential to work with professional lawyers to navigate the intricacies of the law accurately and efficiently. For this reason, you should pick Injury At Work Claims Expert to stand the best chance of seeing your case solved. Due to the No Win, No Fee policy, you won’t have to pay any commissions unless your claim is successful and you receive the maximum compensation you deserve.
Trusted by thousands of customers, their team of experts has won many cases. Their outstanding services ensure your claim is valued correctly. When you have professionals on your side, your legal case stands the highest probability of succeeding in court and yielding the expected results.
Take your time
If your injuries haven’t been the most severe, you may feel it’s perfectly alright to resume your standard activities as soon as possible. However, that would be a mistake. Going back to work when your physical condition is not at its best doesn’t only mean you will delay your recovery. It also means you stand a higher chance of injuring yourself further. Although you may think you’re ready, if your doctor advises you to take a few extra days off, it’s better to err on the side of caution and heed their advice.
When you’re getting back into your old routine, make sure to start slowly. For example, if you’ve suffered a back injury, don’t go straight into lifting heavy items. This will only overexert you, so it’s important to impose some self-restrictions on yourself that you abide by.
What’s more, you should be mindful of your mental state during this time. Following an injury, you might be in a state of shock. If your wounds are particularly debilitating and interfere with your daily life a great deal, you may be struggling with feelings of inadequacy and guilt. You may also find it challenging to come to terms with the fact that the accident happened to you. If you find these emotions unmanageable on your own, talking to a counsellor is a good idea. They can help you overcome what happened so you can move on from the accident in a healthy manner.
Recovering after an injury is no easy feat. However, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone and that you should ask for the help of professionals to get back on track.
