There are tons of different ways for people to get injured on the job, including many that aren’t directly related to their actual occupational duties. In many cases, victims of workplace injury are eligible to gain compensation for the impact this injury has on their life. Potential reasons to seek compensation include loss of income as well as any kind of long-term debilitation or reduction in quality of life.
Don’t Discuss the Situation
One of the easiest and most common mistakes you can make is talking about the injury too much. You might say things you don’t mean to say or say things incorrectly in the retelling. All this can accomplish is to create potential witnesses or testimony against your case in the future. It’s best to minimize open discussion or conversation about the injury or the compensation claim until the situation has been resolved.
Equip Yourself with Counsel
The most important thing you can do to further your compensation claim is to find a law office that can serve your needs. Every person facing a legal struggle absolutely needs to have qualified and capable counsel at their side. An injury or workers’ compensation attorney can provide invaluable advice throughout the entire process and take charge of pushing the claim through the appropriate channels.
Stick to the Facts
Another way that people mess up their own claims is by saying too much when recounting the incident to officials or a courtroom. You should always stick to the facts and limit these facts to those that directly answer each question. Don’t elaborate or explain your reasoning unless it was part of the question. Sticking to the facts keeps things simple and consistent, and leaves less room for error.
Keep Records of Everything
Documentation is the king of the courtroom, even if the claim never actually gets that far. The most important thing you can do after finding counsel is to keep diligent and thorough records of everything. When possible, make notes about any conversations directly related to the injury and collect eyewitness testimony of the actual event. You should also retain all medical and expense records until the proceedings are over.
Suffering an injury at work and dealing with all the fall-out afterward can really turn your life upside down. Even though some of this stress and pain are just challenges you have to work through, there’s no reason to shoulder more than you have to. Don’t hesitate to talk to a legal professional who can advise you about the potential for compensation and the best way to proceed.
This article is from Brooke Chaplan, a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan.
