When you’re injured at work, you may have an initial period of shock and wonder what steps you should take to get medical care and tell your employer what happened. What you do right after the workplace accident will directly affect your benefits through worker’s compensation.
Tough Honest Accident Lawyer: Our Mission is to Make Insurance Companies Pay!
Our experienced attorney specializes in worker’s comp claims and can help you through the process to make sure you are paid the full benefits you’re owed for your injury and its impact on your life.
1. Seek Medical Care Right Away
Whether you work in construction or an office setting, the first thing you need to do after the accident is to seek medical attention immediately. You may think you can wait a few hours or go to your doctor the next day, but it’s crucial to see a physician to care for your injury and document the harm. Many injured workers don’t realize they have more extensive wounds than they thought, especially if head trauma was involved in the incident.
When you file your worker’s compensation claim, the insurance provider could argue your injuries are not as severe as you say because you waited to go to the doctor. The doctor will need to know that you were injured in an accident at work so they can document it clearly in their clinic notes. Any other medical treatments, procedures, specialists, therapies, or medications needed to address your wounds should have an established paper trail.
2. Write Down Details of the Accident
As soon as you can, write down everything you remember about the accident. What were you doing before? Who was around you, and what did the environment look like? What or who led to the incident? This information is important for the “First Report of Injury” required by your employer and worker’s compensation insurers. However, do not file your report before contacting our firm first.
Errors in the paperwork are common, and the insurance company may use mistakes in your statement to compromise your credibility, harming your worker’s comp claim and limiting potential benefits. While it’s important to file the report as soon as possible, it’s just as critical to have a lawyer look over your written account.
Do not exaggerate your injuries and stick to just the facts. Remember that it is illegal for your employer to try and stop you from filing a workplace injury report. Additionally, don’t grant all medical authorization requests from the insurer as you don’t want to give them complete access to your medical history, just the pieces that pertain to your workplace injury.
3. Obtain Written Witness Statements
In many cases, worker’s compensation claims are your word against the employer. If there were coworkers, customers, or others around at the time of the accident, get in contact with them to discuss what they saw the day you were injured. Supporting witness accounts will strengthen your claim and back up your testimony of what happened.
4. Hire a Skilled Workers’ Comp Lawyer
The best way to ensure your worker’s compensation claim is approved for the maximum benefits is to meet with our attorney as soon as possible to discuss your claim. After a workplace injury, you need to focus on healing and continuing medical treatments.
John Fagan and our legal team know how to pursue your claim aggressively in Florida. We will help you compile the necessary documentation and witness testimony so that you and your family can concentrate on your recovery.
Contact a Worker’s Comp Attorney in Florida Today
Our practice is dedicated to helping accident victims. If you ever need help with a legal problem or just want information on this subject, you can always reach our firm at 777-JOHN. We serve clients throughout Florida with our main office in Orange Park and consult offices in Palatka, Middleburg, Keystone, Starke, Gainesville, and Ocala.
