Injured On The Job? Understand And Protect Your Rights

No one should be injured at work. There are – or should be – practices and procedures in place to avoid any member of staff becoming injured in the workplace, no matter what the workplace. It doesn’t matter if you work in an office or on a construction site, there should be proper policies in place to protect you and reduce potential harm.

So, what rights do you have when injured on the job? What can you do to make sure you are getting everything you deserve from your employer? Let’s take a look at your rights as an employee as well as what you should do after being injured in the workplace.

The Right To File A Claim

As an injured employee, you have every right to file a claim against your place of work. With the help of a workers compensation lawyer, this would usually take place in workers compensation court but can also be taken to state-level industrial court. You have the right to share your side of the story in front of a judge and try to claim compensation. However, filing a claim and reaching court often comes after a few other steps, which we will discuss in greater detail below. 

The Right To Medical Treatment

Your company should have insurance in place to cover accidents in the workplace. This counts for big construction businesses, schools, offices, and even healthcare companies. The company should have liability insurance that covers injuries to staff and customers visiting their premises. This means they should immediately offer to help you with your medical treatment. If they do not, you should get that treatment anyway, as you may well be able to claim it back later.

The Right To Return To Work

Lots of people worry about taking their company to court or raise any injury claim in case they fire them. This would create even more problems for your company. If you are hurt at work, that in no way affects your right to work in that company. If you end up with an impairment or disability due to the workplace’s negligence, you still do not give up the right to come back to your old job. In fact, your company should do everything they can to accommodate you after such an incident. 

The Right To Disability Compensation

If you have become visually or otherwise impaired, disabled, or long-term sick due to this incident, you have a right to disability compensation. This is especially true if you can’t work. Many companies will have paid some of your salary into a disability pot, while some states provide disability. Either way, there will be some disability compensation out there for you, just make sure you reach out and find it.

The Right To A Lawyer

Ok, so you know your basic rights and what to look for after an injury at work. What about getting that court case sorted and trying to maximise compensation? Well, as you may already know, at any trial in the united states you have a right to be represented by a lawyer. 

In most cases in the personal injury sphere, you will be able to find a lawyer who will represent you for free, only taking their fee out of the compensation or costs of the opposing party. So, you should not need to find a state-provided lawyer. Also, do not settle for any lawyer provided by your employer – you want a lawyer who is fully on your side who you can trust. Lawyers from https://www.greenbergrubylaw.com/los-angeles-work-injury-lawyer can help evaluate your case so you rest assured knowing that the full force of their experience fighting, and winning, will be put to work on your behalf.

What Can A Lawyer Do To Help?

Make sure you reach out to a lawyer right at the beginning of the process. They will help ensure you have gathered the right evidence regarding your injury, treatment at work, medical processes, travel expenses and more. They will also know how to build the strongest possible claim, keeping in mind future expenses, mental health problems, and many other things that can be claimed for.

After all this, a lawyer will either represent you in court or help you receive an out-of-court settlement. Either way, they will make sure they have earned you as much compensation as possible while making the process as easy and stress-free as possible. Having a lawyer you trust throughout this sort of process makes the whole thing ten times easier.

Now you understand your basic rights and what to do in the event of a personal injury in the workplace. Though we hope it never happens to you, if it does – or has – we hope this guide can help you.