Injury at the workplace can be painful and disrupt your entire life. If the injury is severe, there are high chances that you may take a longer recovery time or even get permanent disability. All these eventually affect your financial, mental, and physical health and leave you confused about what the future holds. While your medical expenses and the loss of income can be covered through Virginia’s workers’ compensation, the process can be daunting and complex.
Your next steps after sustaining a work-related injury will affect your claim. Any wrong move can either deny or reduce your compensation. Therefore, here is what to do if injured on the job in Virginia.
- Seek medical attention immediately.
If you sustained a severe or life-threatening injury, you would be immediately rushed to an emergency room. If not, you should still seek medical assistance right away and get the needed treatment. There are chances that you might have sustained internal injuries, which, if neglected, can cause complications in the future. Any delay in the treatment can give a green signal to the insurance company to use it against you.
- Inform your employer.
As soon as you sustain the injury at the workplace, inform your employer about the accident. Note that you must notify them through email, a letter, or any written form, and keep a copy to yourself. The written notice will come in handy when filing workers’ compensation claims. Failure to notify your employer about the injury can result in a denied claim.
- File the needed paperwork.
As per the laws, you must fill out the injury report. Cross-check the information you are filling before submitting it and keep a copy of the record for yourself. If you have difficulty filing the paperwork, speak to a professional to help you out.
- Get in touch with a lawyer as soon as possible.
The insurance company and your employer works faster than anyone. As soon as you file for a claim, the insurance company will offer a quick pay to settle for less, and the employer may try to use various tactics to convince you to accept the offer. The quick process is done before you get a chance to consult a lawyer. Since it is the initial stage of your recovery, you may not be aware of the extent of your injury and end up receiving less compensation than you deserve. Therefore, a lawyer will help navigate through the insurance company’s tactics and get a deserving compensation to cover all your losses.