What You Should Do Immediately After Sustaining a Work Injury
The skilled attorneys of Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. have helped many thousands of clients when they needed a work injury lawyer Queens NY offers. If you’ve been injured on the job, you may need legal assistance to receive the compensation you deserve.
Though your company may have a work safety program in place to prevent injuries, it doesn’t guarantee that accidents won’t happen. If you do get hurt while on the job, it’s important to report it to your supervisor immediately, even if you think it’s a minor injury. Otherwise, you may not qualify for workers compensation. That can be a serious problem if your “minor” injury develops into something serious. If you didn’t report the injury when it happened, any or all of the following could occur:
- Your employer can refuse to pay for your medical treatment
- Your private health insurance policy will probably not pay for your accident-related costs, including medical treatment
- You may lose wages for the days you cannot work
- You may have to use your vacation time while you recover
- If you run out of vacation time while recovering, you could lose your job if you are unable to return to work or work at full capacity
Workers Compensation Benefits
If you suffered a major injury at work, a Queens work injury lawyer can confirm the benefits you are entitled to. Usually you may be entitled to the following:
- Medical treatment
- Temporary disability benefits
- A monetary award determined by the seriousness of your work injury, which must be deemed to be permanent by an approved physician. A work injury lawyer Queens NY relies on may provide you with an estimate of what your claim may be worth.
Documenting Your Injury
In addition to reporting the injury to your employer, it’s important to collect evidence and information that supports your version of the events that led to your accident. This is in case the insurance company or your employer denies your claim. Even before you contact a work injury lawyer Queens NY victims recommend, you need to immediately document your injury. Every situation is unique, but here are some suggestions on what to do:
- Request any co-worker who witnessed your accident, or had knowledge of the circumstances (such as the hazardous condition that injured you) to write down what they know.
- Make sure they sign and date their written account.
- Preserve the original and make a copy for a work injury lawyer Queens NY employees choose to represent them under similar circumstances.
- Use your cell phone or a video camera to videotape the accident scene and any relevant details of what injured you. If you’re not able to do this, ask a friend at work to do it for you. For example, if you were seriously injured by improperly installed or defective scaffolding equipment, videotape of the equipment can illustrate what harmed you.
- Write down everything you remember that led up to the accident, the accident itself, and the injury it caused. Sign and date it. If your claim is denied, or their settlement offer is absurdly low, you can present your information to a work injury lawyer in Queens NY.
Request a Free Consultation
If you were seriously injured while at your job, workers compensation may be inadequate to cover the costs of your injury. In some cases, employers or their insurance company will deny a valid claim simply because they don’t want to pay. At Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C., we’ve seen all the dirty tricks played on honest, hardworking employees. Allow us to help you as we’ve helped many other injured workers. Call us today to request a free consultation with a work injury lawyer Queens NY is proud to call their own.
Client Review
“I used Mark Polsky and his team to help with my worker’s comp case. He and his team are professional and were always looking out for my best interests. They were always available to answer any questions I had, and checked in on me frequently to see how I was feeling, and provided me with updates on my case. I highly recommend them.”
Howard K.
