The vast majority of employers provide their workers with protocol regarding how to react immediately following a workplace injury; however, not every worker is well-versed in these necessary procedures. It may sound unreasonable to ask someone who has just suffered an injury to keep a level enough head to recall a set of steps that he or she possibly never imagined having to take. Nonetheless, injuries do happen, and workers that don’t respond appropriately can suffer financially as well as physically.
As we just discussed, it can be hard to follow protocol in the midst of suffering an injury. But what about after the injury is properly tended to? What do you do then?
You must report your injury. Failing to do so can open a metaphorical Pandora’s Box of troubles. Timely reporting of an injury will ensure you are not denied appropriate medical care and benefits. You need to immediately seek out your HR representative and make a record of what happened, why it happened, and how you handled it. Otherwise, you could be denied your rights as an injured party.
Even if you do not require immediate medical attention, say for an injury like a twisted knee or a cut that you bandaged yourself, you still need to report your injury. Why? Because what happens to you if that cut gets infected in a week and you try to seek medical attention for it then? It would not be unreasonable for your employer to posit that you were not cut on company premises because there is no written record of any injury taking place. What if the day after you twist your knee, you wake up in the morning and it is incredibly swollen and you can’t move? Let’s say after that, you go to the hospital and find out you’ve torn your ACL. But since you didn’t make a record of it, there’s no way to prove it happened at work. Therefore, you can be denied medical benefits or paid leave.
Workers who are injured on the job in Georgia have certain rights. Here at the Law Offices of Darwin F. Johnson, we see to it that injured workers receive the benefits to which they are entitled. If you have been injured on the job, take a look around our site for more information about us. Then, give us a call to schedule a free consultation.
Stay safe!
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