If you were injured on the job, time is of the essence. Whether you’ve suffered a fall, concussion, or cumulative trauma, such as hearing loss or carpal tunnel syndrome, reporting the injury is essential to obtain the benefits and care you deserve. Here, Bronx, NY, personal injury lawyer Stephen B. Kaufman, P.C. outlines what needs to occur following a workplace injury.

Steps to Take Following a Workplace Personal Injury

File a Report

The extent of your injury may not become fully apparent until days or weeks after the incident. As such, it’s important to file a report whenever an accident occurs. The window to submit a worker’s compensation claim is limited. Regardless of whether you believe you have been injured, filing an incident report will help protect your eligibility and may even lead to improvements in workplace safety.

Choosing not to report a workplace injury can have a number of consequences. Your employer may claim the incident never occurred or the accident happened outside of work. Some employers require accident reports to be filed within a 24-hour period. If you delay, you may be reprimanded or even suspended. When in doubt, it’s always best to follow protocol.

Seek Medical Attention

Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may either visit the emergency room or a general physician. Assuming your injuries are not serious or life threatening, you should find out whether your employer requires you to visit a particular physician. If you see a work-approved physician and are unhappy with the assessment or level of care, it may be in your best interests to obtain a second opinion. Though you may have to pay for this visit out of pocket, it could help you obtain added worker’s compensation benefits, which is often a fair trade-off.

And, of course, you should consult with a personal injury attorney. If you are injured on the job, you are entitled to worker’s compensation benefits. Serving Bronx clients for over 40 years, attorney Stephen B. Kaufman, P.C. will provide you with the advice, counsel, and representation you need to obtain the benefits you rightfully deserve. Visit the law firm online or call (718) 822-0500 to schedule your free personal injury case consultation.