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Receiving an injury at work is a terrible thing. It can be physical, psychological or an illness contracted through the work that you do. What is worse is the stress that follows an injury. Are you still able to work? Have you lost any income? Can you afford the medical bills? However, this is not your sole responsibility. If you were injured and it was not your fault, then you may be entitled to some compensation. You have more rights than you might think, and this article will give you some idea of what they are.
Injuries at Work
You have the same legal rights whether you are injured at work through an accident, a work-related illness, or a condition developed through your employment. It does not matter who you work for or what you do, your employer has a legal responsibility to care for your needs and prevent you from coming to harm if possible. If you are injured then you should contact worker compensation appeals board.
What should you do?
Seek Medical Treatment – Employers need to ensure you have access to medical treatment if you need it. Most workplaces will have a designated first aid officer on site or nearby in case you get injured at work. You should seek this person immediately after an injury but also visit your local doctor or emergency room just to make sure you are okay.
Record the details – When you suffer from a work-related illness or accident, your employer should make you fill out an accident report form and file it. You need to be as specific as possible and state the details exactly as you remember them. If the details don’t match your testimony, then do not put your name to it.
Sick Pay – This is something that you should ask about if you are required to take time off of work. Not everyone is entitled to sick pay but if you are, it will be in your contract.
Recovery Time – Taking time away from work can be tough, especially if you are relying on your wage to pay your bills. However, if you rush back to work before you are ready, you may injure yourself again and make things worse. Equally, if you work with others, you may not only be endangering yourself upon your early return but them as well.
Claiming Compensation
Claiming compensation is not the easiest thing to do after a work-related accident. You need to ensure that you can prove that it was your employer’s fault or somebody else’s negligence. This is why recording the accident is so important.
If you can prove it was not your fault, then you can claim for several things. These can include legal bills, medical treatment, missed salaries, future damages, and any ongoing treatment that you are receiving.
What are you entitled to?
It is important that when you are injured or ill at work, you do not let it slide and ‘soldier on. If you are in a good workplace, they should encourage you to take time off and provide reasonable sick pay. If you are not, then you are well within your rights to seek compensation.
