If you get hurt on the job, you may have no idea what you’re supposed to do afterward. If your injuries aren’t serious, you may think it’s okay to just go home and not tell anybody. Our Nashville workers’ compensation lawyers have even admitted that they were too embarrassed to admit they had fallen or gotten hurt. You can’t let something like that cost you workers comp benefits. There’s nothing funny or embarrassing about getting injured on the job. This is why we feel it’s important that you know what to do in the moments after your workplace accident.
If you’re lucky, your employer has a workplace accident policy posted prominently in the break room. At least this will give you an idea of what you need to do. Unfortunately, a lot of companies don’t do much more than have employees sign off on the policy and turn it in. We’ve talked to many clients over the years who said they had never read their employer’s workplace accident policy.
This is why we decided to highlight the important steps you must take immediately after your workplace injury. If you still have questions after reading this short article, give us a call. We can schedule you to come in and meet with one of our personal injury lawyers in Nashville right away.
Make Sure You Report Your Accident and Injuries
Some people think they don’t need to report an injury if it isn’t serious. The truth is that you need to report any workplace injury. You have no idea how bad your injuries are. You may feel on day one only to feel terrible a day or two later. The longer you wait to report your accident, the harder it will be for your Nashville workers’ compensation lawyer to prove your case.
If your injuries are serious, it’s even more important that you report them right away. You need to report it to your manager, supervisor, or HR director immediately. This puts your employer on notice. It also documents that incident so they can’t come back later and deny it ever happened.
Some people ask us what they’re supposed to do if there’s no manager on the premises at the time of their accident. If this is the case, find the next person in command. If there is truly nobody around, write down a statement of what happened and ask your coworkers to sign off on it. This way, they know somebody witnessed the event.
One other thing you should do is call a personal injury lawyer in Nashville right away. Hopefully, your workers’ comp claim will be approved, and you won’t have anything to worry about. However, if your claim is denied for some reason, you’ll already have an attorney ready to tackle your case head-on.
Make Sure You Seek Medical Treatment Immediately
Many clients tell us they refused to get medical treatment after their workplace injury. They said they didn’t think they needed it. Or they figured they would just call their own doctor and make an appointment for later in the week. This is a big mistake.
Under Tennessee workers’ compensation law, you are only allowed to seed medical treatment from a state-approved doctor. If you are treated by anybody not on this list, your medical bills won’t be covered. This won’t excuse you from paying these bills. You’ll just have to pay them out-of-pocket. Rather than risk this happening, just go to the doctor your company sends you to. This way, you know all your care will be covered and you won’t have to pay anything on your own.
Your Company Will Ask You to Take a Drug Test
Some of our clients tell us they refused to take the drug test when asked by their employer. They said they felt it was an invasion of their privacy. Like it or not, your employer has every right to ask you to take a drug test. Not only is it within their legal rights in Tennessee, but they also make sure you sign off on their workplace accident policy. This policy will clearly state that your workers’ comp claim will be denied if you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of your injuries.
In addition to your employer’s workplace accident policy, they may also have a no-drug policy in place. If this is the case, and you test positive for drugs, your claim will be denied. There is no way the insurance company is going to pay out a claim if the worker was high or intoxicated. In fact, our Nashville workers’ compensation lawyer will not accept a case in which the worker was using drugs at the time of their injury.
Go to All Doctor’s Appointments if You Want to Continue Receiving
One thing we warn all of our workers’ comp clients about is missing doctor’s appointments. If you miss appointments or refuse to go to physical therapy, your benefits will be suspended. If the insurance company finds that you’re not participating in your own medical care, they will terminate your benefits. In cases like this, it’s hard for our personal injury lawyers in Nashville to defend a case like this.
If for some reason you can’t make it to an appointment, call and let your doctor’s office know. If you feel your doctor doesn’t have your best interest in mind, let your attorney know. This way, we can talk to the insurance company about getting a second opinion.
Call an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Nashville Right Away
If you get hurt at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. If you follow the above steps, your claim should be approved. If for some reason your claim is denied, make sure to give us a call. Schedule your free, initial consultation with one of our Nashville injury lawyers right away.