Construction work can be dangerous, with a higher risk of injury than other industries. While construction may be a hazardous profession, workers have a legal right to a safe working environment. If you suffer a construction site accident, it’s essential to take the right steps to ensure your safety and protect your legal rights. Discussed below are five things to do after a construction site accident.
1. Seek medical attention
If you’ve sustained injuries in a construction site accident, seek medical attention immediately. You should get your injuries examined regardless of how minor they might be. This is because neck, head, spinal and internal injuries aren’t quick to notice. Going for a checkup helps rule them out to avoid severity. Get all your medical tests and treatments documented to aid your workers’ compensation claim or personal injury lawsuit.
2. Claim workers’ compensation
The workers’ compensation system provides medical costs and wage loss coverage, and other relevant benefits for those injured in the workplace. An employer or an insurance company usually funds it. Claiming the workers’ compensation can be a complicated and overwhelming process.
Your employer may refuse to acknowledge that your accident happened due to work-related duties or in the construction site, delay or deny your benefits, the benefits may not fully cover your lost wages and medical expenses, or you may not understand the workers’ compensation process. In such cases, engaging Workers’ Compensation Lawyers can help fight for your rights to ensure you get total compensation and the rights due to you.
3. Inform your employer
Upon getting treatment for your injuries, notify your employer of the accident as soon as possible. While some states may have statutes requiring workers to report an accident within a specified period, others may not. However, prompt reporting of the accident accelerates your workers’ compensation claim processing, avoiding delays. It also helps employers take measures to ensure such accidents don’t happen again. When reporting the construction site accident, ensure everything is written and request a copy.
4. Gather the necessary information and evidence
Gathering as much information as possible about your injuries and accident will help you get prompt compensation. The data you collect should include witness contact information, photos of the accident scene and any damage, your medical records, and your employer’s correspondence. Should your employer refuse to compensate you, your lawyer can use this information to fight your workers’ compensation claim to ensure you’re duly compensated.
Take note of where the accident happened, what you were doing, and evidence of what resulted in the accident, including lack of protective gear, defective tools, and more. Ensure there’s a clear events sequence to establish if the case was due to someone else’s negligence.
5. File a personal injury claim
If you aren’t covered by the workers’ compensation system or a third party injures you, you can file a personal injury claim. With the help of a personal injury attorney, you can get fair compensation for all the damages the accident caused and any alterations it might have left in your life. A competent attorney can also help you get compensation for pain and suffering damages and get coverage for ongoing medical treatment.
Endnote
Construction sites are inherently dangerous, and accident risks are very high. Consider doing these things should you experience a construction site accident.
