In Australia, employers are required by law to create a safe working environment for their employees. Even with steps and procedures in place to minimise injuries in the workplace, they can, and do, occur. The unpredictable nature of an injury means it can happen anywhere at anytime. If you’ve been injured at work you should be aware of what to do after a work-related injury and who to speak to.
What Should you do After You’ve Been Injured at Work?
Regardless of the severity of your injury you should always notify someone, like a manager or supervisor, if you’ve been injured at work. Your employer must provide first aid if necessary and record the injury in the register of injuries. Even if your injury is not serious at the time, it may cause ongoing problems so it’s important that the incident is recorded by your employer.
It’s also a good idea to seek medical treatment, even if you don’t think you need it. Some injuries may cause underlying problems which a medical professional can diagnose before it’s too late. A medical report written immediately after you’ve sustained an injury at work will also be useful if you need to make a workers compensation claim.
Should you Speak to Your Employer?
It is important that you speak to your employer, but communication should be limited to the facts: report your injury and advise how the injury occurred. Your employer can then provide you with their insurer’s details and notify the insurer that you have been injured at work.
Workers Compensation entitles workers who have been injured at work to no-fault benefits. These benefits include medical expenses and income support. However, if the injury was caused by the fault or negligence of the employer or a third party, a worker may be able to make a work injury damages claim or a common law negligence claim. This is why it’s a good idea to limit communication with an employer to the facts.
Should you Speak to a Lawyer?
If you’re like most workers, you won’t have extensive knowledge of the law and policies surrounding workplace health and safety. It’s often something that people don’t look into unless they are actually injured at work, and a crash course in workplace health and safety legislation is challenging, let alone just after you’ve been injured at work.
Following an injury at work, many workers quickly become overwhelmed by the legal process. They can often miss important facts and therefore miss out on much needed compensation. It is therefore important that you seek professional legal advice from a lawyer as soon as possible.
Here’s why you should speak to an injury compensation lawyer if you’ve been injured at work:
Knowledge and Experience
An experienced injury compensation lawyer can review your case, and with their extensive knowledge of workplace health and safety legislation as well as relevant workers compensation legislation they can advise what you’re entitled to and the best course of action.
Efficiency
If you’ve been injured at work, there will likely be a mountain of forms and reports to fill out. You may also need to make decisions and research the best course of action. Multiple forms and decisions can be confusing for the novice, but with the help of a lawyer you can submit paperwork and make informed decisions in an efficient and timely manner.
Resolve Disputes
When someone is injured in the workplace their employer can quickly become defensive, especially if they could be at fault. A negligent employer may even dispute the details surrounding the injury. With an injury compensation lawyer on your side from the beginning you’ll be ready to deal with any disputes that arise and resolve them as soon as possible.
Fight Big Insurers
Insurers can be reluctant to pay compensation to injured workers. With an experienced injury compensation lawyer on your side you’ll be ready to go up against the powerful insurance companies and have a better chance of receiving the compensation your deserve.
Peace of Mind
Speaking to a lawyer, even if you’ve been injured at work and it’s only a minor injury, can offer peace of mind. You’ll know that you’ve covered all bases and if any problems arise you’ll know that you have done all that is necessary.
Are You Hesitant to Speak with a Lawyer?
Many workers who have been injured at work may hesitate to speak with a lawyer for fear of astronomical legal fees, however the fear is unfounded. Many firms, including Taylor & Scott Lawyers, will offer a free, no obligation, case assessment where they will discuss how you were injured at work and offer advice moving forward.
In this initial assessment an experienced injury compensation lawyer can review your case. They will be able to advise you if your case would benefit from their legal expertise, and if not then you would be free to walk away at no cost. If Taylor & Scott Lawyers take on your case they can make an application for a grant of legal assistance to cover all legal costs incurred in your workers compensation claim, which saves you the financial stress of pursuing compensation after you have been injured at work. This is all the more reason to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible if you’ve been injured at work.