2 Things You Need to Do When There’s Been an Accident at Work
Whether you’re working with heavy machinery or simply stocking the shelves, workplace accidents can happen regardless of the situation. Or maybe you aren’t even working, maybe you’re on a break and just so happen to slip and hurt your back – after all, accidents come whenever they want and however they want. Well, whatever the case may be, the main and almost inevitable consequences of workplace accidents are lost wages and medical bills.
Dreadful, right? Luckily, you don’t have to worry about it
as the Workers’ Compensation Act mandates upon the employer the civic duty to
cover the lost wages and medicinal cost of injured laborers. This protection
is, however, not absolute as the employers are always, ever so vigilantly,
looking for loopholes and exploitations that’ll let them opt out of this
mandate. And don’t think that an organization as goliath as yours won’t care
much about a single worker because they certainly do.
So, what are you supposed to do? Even when protected, you are
vulnerable. Don’t worry, though; things aren’t as bleak as they seem. Because
when there’s an accident at work,
lawyers in Reading, PA, have got your back with these 2 tips.
Inform Your Superiors
Before we get started, let’s make one thing clear; each
state has its own set of workers’ compensation rules and regulations. This
means that each state will have allotted different periods for you to complete
your legal obligations as someone who wants to avail of workers’ compensation.
Failing to meet the obligations within the allotted time can lead to the complete
forfeiture of compensation benefits.
One of the first legal obligations imposed upon injured
workers is that they have to inform their superiors as soon as possible. This
condition is of such importance that for accidents at work, lawyers in Reading,
PA, recommend e-mailing the details of the incident and the injury to the
superiors as soon as possible.
Immediately Ask for a First Aid Assistant by A Trained Professional
The main significance of workers’ compensation, or more
precisely its beauty, is the fact that it eliminates the need for there to be
negligence for you to get the benefits. This provision is, however, only
applicable till the moment of the accident and the injuries caused by it. But
what’s wrong with that, you ask; it’s that the law exempts you from negligence
that caused the accident but not from the negligence of not trying to minimize
the damage.
It’s quite complicated, isn’t it? Then consider this example
where your employer occasionally arranges meetings and seminars on workplace
safety and accident prevention. Now imagine that you get injured in a workplace
accident and go to the doctor as soon as possible. However, your workers’
compensation gets denied because the employers argued that you could’ve
prevented much of the damage if you had immediately administered first aid.
Don’t worry; such situations are quite rare. But they’re
still significant enough that for an accident at work, lawyers in
Reading, PA, recommend asking for immediate first aid assistance from a
trained professional.
One Tip, Extra
Finally, in a conclusion, here’s the best advice you’ll ever
get. No matter how trivial a situation may seem, call a lawyer for proper legal
assistance – because try as you might, you’re not as familiar with the legal
world as someone who practices law for a living. You trying to self-handle your
legal vows is like a newbie saying to you that they can easily do the job that
you’ve been honing for years. So, play it smart, alright – and hire a lawyer.
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