3 Mistakes Employees Make After Being Victim of a Workplace Accident

Falling victim to a workplace accident is prevalent even in low-risk jobs, and for those involved, it can be a challenging, emotional time. Whether the injury is temporary or permanent, it can open a mixed bag of emotions for the employee affected and their employer. Due to this, employees may not know where or whom to turn to after the accident, and since workplace accidents are never planned for, this makes it easier for employees to make mistakes.

Sadly, errors can significantly affect the potential settlement or compensation that an injured employee could receive. In this article, we’ve compiled several of the most common mistakes that employees make following an accident at work to prevent the same mistakes from being made in the future.

Reporting The Accident Too Late

One of the most common mistakes that employees make after suffering an accident is failing to promptly report the incident to management or their employer. Depending on which state you reside in, you must notify your employer of the accident within a set number of days. For instance, in Virginia, according to the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act, if an employee suffers a work-related injury or illness, it must be reported to your employer within thirty days from the time of the accident.

Often, big and small businesses are unsure about the processes that need to be followed when an employee is hurt or gets sick while at work. For example, suppose you are a business in Virginia and have more questions about Virginia workers’ compensation insurance. In that case, you could consider enlisting the services of The Hartford, a leader in Virginia workers’ compensation. Contact a team member today for tailored information about workplace injuries, plus advice regarding the workers’ compensation policy you should have to protect your business and employees.

Not Getting Representation

Failing to get legal representation is another common mistake that work-related injured employees make. You might be thinking to yourself: Do I need a work injury lawyer? That will depend on the circumstances of your case and severity of your injuries, but generally speaking, if your injury required you to get medical attention and take time off work, it’s advisable to seek the counsel of a work injury lawyer. Although you can represent yourself in court, it is highly discouraged, and you can guarantee that your employers won’t be doing the same. The insurance company and your employer will be consulting with legal representatives every step of the way throughout your claim, and it’s in your best interests to do so too.

Ultimately, insurance companies want to keep themselves profitable, and the only way of doing so is by paying you as little as possible or denying your claim altogether. Therefore, finding a lawyer as soon as possible is your best chance of getting the total amount of compensation you are entitled to. Use online search tools to make your search for lawyers in your state easier.

Failing To Contact A Doctor

Another common mistake that employees make after being injured at work is failing to contact a doctor, or if they do, they fail to tell them all the symptoms the injury is causing. There are many reasons that a person may not contact a doctor, from having a phobia of doctors to feeling that the damage will get better on its own. However, it’s essential to contact a primary care physician no matter how minor you think the injury is because if your injury goes to court, your defense will use it as an opportunity to claim that you’re not injured.