Accidents at work occur every day and depending on the environment that you work in, you may be more likely to be in an accident than others. For instance, construction work has been found to be one of the most dangerous industries to work in within the United States, due to the number of injuries that occur on construction sites. If you have been seriously injured at work, here are the steps that you must take.
File an Accident Report
Every workplace should have an accident report book or log that needs completing as soon as an accident has occurred. Either you or someone that witnessed the accident should fill this in (if your injury has left you unable to), alongside a manager. You must ensure everything you document in here is true and as accurate as possible. This can help later when it comes to seeking legal advice. Writing it down when it’s still fresh in your head means you won’t forget vital information later. Take your own copy of this too.
Take Evidence
Take any evidence you can whether this is in photo format or witness statements. If there is a CCTV camera within your workplace this will aid as the best evidence. A serious accident at work constitutes something that causes enough harm to limit your everyday activities and cause time off work.
Seek Medical Attention
If you have been in an accident you should seek medical advice immediately. Whilst there may be health and safety officers at your workplace, you need official medical documentation of your injuries. You should also have a full medical examination in case there is anything that has been missed. If you have fallen or had any form of head injury, it is especially important that you are checked out as you could be suffering from a concussion or there may be an underlying issue that cannot be seen with the naked eye.
Seek Legal Advice
Once you are on the road to recovery and ready to take action, you should think about seeking legal advice. Workplace accidents occur every day and you are well within your rights as an employee to seek compensation where you deserve it. If you were injured and this was due to your workplace not following the health and safety laws then you should speak to a personal injury lawyer. If you work in construction and have had an accident at work, you may want to speak to a construction worker accident lawyer NYC. Working with a lawyer who has won cases similar to yours means that you can have faith in the fact they understand what they are doing and will be able to guide you with any questions or concerns that you may have. If you have suffered a serious injury, it may be that you cannot work or earn money for your family. Hiring a lawyer allows you to focus on recovery, whilst they do the hard work for you.
Having a serious accident at work can be an extremely difficult time and so finding an experienced lawyer can leave you confident that you will get what you deserve.