6 Common Mistakes To Avoid After Being Injured At Work

With more than 2 million injuries occurring every year in the workplace, it is a good idea to become familiar with the top common mistakes to avoid. We have a list of what you don’t want to do if you get injured while you’re at work.

Even if you feel you have the safest job in the world, the risk of getting injured at work is very possible. Everyone from retail workers to secretaries to drivers and warehouse workers faces daily injury risks.

Read on to learn the mistakes you need to avoid at all costs.

1. Not Reporting

Even if you feel fine or you don’t think an injury is very serious, you always want to report it. If you fail to report it, you will miss out on receiving benefits in the future if your injury gets worse.

Keep in mind that if you fail to report your injury on time sometimes, there are other legal rights you might be entitled to. A personal injury lawyer can educate you if you have any rights and what they are.

Depending on the state you live in, there are only so many days to file an injury report. This number can vary between 7 days to 30 days.

In some states, you have to file your injury immediately in order for it to count. Make sure you are familiar with the time frame required for the state you live in.

2. Seeing the Wrong Doctor

You can’t see just any doctor after your work injury. Usually, there is a list of “in-network” providers or certain pre-approved doctors that you have to see. Your employer can provide you with a list of the right doctors to visit.

Certain states do not have a requirement for the doctor you see, so in those states, you can choose the doctor you prefer. If you see a doctor of choice, make sure that they give you competent medical advice. If you ever have any doubts about the treatment recommendations or diagnosis, speak to an attorney about your rights to have a second doctor’s opinion.

Remember that if the injury leaves you in terrible shape at the scene of the injury, you want to contact the police to file the appropriate reports. Also, contact an ambulance to check you out and write up reports on what they observe. The paramedics will determine if they need to bring you into the emergency room or not.

3. Filing an Inaccurate Report

It is imperative to file a report that is 100% accurate and true. Any false information on the report will lead to your claim being denied. Even if you unintentionally submit any false information, it can still cause your claim to be denied.

Something you want to avoid while you are writing your injury report is making assumptions about any information you are not 100% sure about. For example, if you are not sure exactly how you were injured you don’t want to make an assumption about this.

Also, never embellish the details of the accident with the intention of making the accident sound worse than it really was. One of the best ways to avoid making a mistake on your report is to contact an attorney to help you.

In your report make sure you disclose any previous injuries you’ve had. If you fail to do so, this could be considered lying and it can hurt your credibility along with hurting your chances of being compensated.

4. Not Following the Medical Advice

You have to follow the medical advice your doctor gives you. If you don’t follow their advice you can lose the rights to your benefits quickly. Sometimes doctors that work for the worker’s comp company have an incentive financially to keep the insurance company happy.

Because of this incentive, the doctor might provide the minimum treatment that you need to get you feeling better. If you ever feel that you’re in this situation you need to speak to an attorney to help you.

5. Not Returning to Work

When you are capable of returning to work according to your doctor, you need to return. If you choose to not return for whatever reason, you could lose your benefits for not following the doctor’s orders.

In the event that you don’t feel ready to go to work then make sure you speak to your doctor instead of pushing yourself when you really don’t feel like you can carry out your duties. If your doctor states that you can return to work but can only carry out the restricted duty and your employer doesn’t want to honor this work arrangement, you have to report this.

It is illegal for your employer to not honor lighter duty and your employer is also not allowed to discourage you from returning to work.

6. Not Staying Quiet

People sometimes overshare with their friends and family on social media. This is a huge no-no because if you plan on using your company, whatever you share can be used against you. Anything you post will be used to scrutinize the injury claim you reported.

Sometimes people think that increasing their privacy settings will ensure their privacy, but this is not the case. Courts have legal rights to access everything that you post online. No matter what, just stay quiet and don’t run around posting and sharing things related to your injury on the World Wide Web.

Trust us when we tell you that the courts will take your pictures and comments out of context.

Time to Avoid These Mistakes Like a Pro

Now that you are familiar with the top mistakes to avoid if you are ever injured at work, you can make sure that you don’t accidentally make any of these mistakes. If you have a really serious injury then it is a smart move to contact an attorney with experience to help you fight for your rights.

Feel free to continue browsing this section for more tips and tricks.