Nobody wants to be the victim of a workplace injury. The fact is, however, that workplace injuries happen all the time all over the world. What’s more, they happen more or less indiscriminately. No matter what kind of job you have, there is a chance that you can suffer as a result of an injury at work. Even if you only work in an office, you could find yourself suffering from an electrical fault or simply tripping over a loose wire. There is only a certain amount that we can ever do to prevent injuries happening at work. No matter what kind of guidelines and rules we put in place, there is always a chance of the worst case scenario occurring. However, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to do everything in our power to stop those things happening. If you are curious to discover more about workplace injuries, then read on. In this article, we are going to look at some of the most common injuries that happen at work. We will also look at the best preventative measures if they do happen. What’s more, we will take a brief look at the usual process if you feel that you are owed compensation. Let’s take a look at this complex issue now.
What Are The Most Common Causes Of Workplace Injury?
We have seen that all kinds of workplaces are viable to cause injury of some kind or another. However, if we take a look at the statistics, it can be surprising what we discover. It is often helpful to know exactly what causes the most injuries. When we are armed with that kind of information, we can then do everything in our power to avoid it happening in the future. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most common causes of injuries in the workplace.
Above all, the most common reason that people hurt themselves in the workplace is due to a trip or slip. This is probably unsurprising to most people. After all, we have all had the experience of at least having a near miss with an unwanted object on the floor. The trouble is, it can be all too easy to leave something lying around, no matter what the workplace itself is like. It is then a simple matter for someone to find themselves slipping up. Although slipping or tripping might not sound like a serious concern, the result can be devastating. In the worst case scenarios, it can even lead to problems with the neck or spine. It is clear, therefore, that it is important to minimise the chance of slips and trips occurring.
The second most common cause of workplace injury is electrical mishaps. Again, for the majority of people, this will not come as much of a surprise. Most workplaces these days have a fair amount of electrical usage going on. More often than not, these issues occur when there is an electrical item which is faulty or damaged. Therefore, it is imperative that you always keep a close eye on any electrical items in your workplace. Remember: if anything seems amiss, then it is your duty to report it to your line manager. As long as everyone stays on their toes regarding electrics, a huge number of incidents can be avoided altogether. And it is always far preferable to avoid incidents in the first place.
Finally, there is a third common reason that people suffer injuries in the workplace. This one is much more of a personal nature, and it is the result of handling something incorrectly. Manual handling injuries constitute a huge number of injuries in the workplace. The best way to ensure that they do not occur is to keep everyone well-trained on how to properly handle items in the workplace. For most places, it is a legal requirement to do this anyway. But many businesses would benefit from ensuring that this is refreshed on a regular basis.
What If You Have An Injury At Work?
Of course, it doesn’t really matter how careful you are in the end. No matter how much care you place in your actions at work, you could still be injured at any time. It is therefore helpful to know what steps you should take if the worst happens to occur to you. That is what we will take a look at next. If you suffer an injury at work, what should you do?
The first thing is to make the situation as safe as possible. This, of course, takes precedence over everything else. Do everything you can to ensure that anyone in the scene is kept safe. If you are seriously injured, you should call for help. There is one rule which you should try to follow regardless of the ins and outs of what has happened. That is, you should make sure that the incident is reported as soon as possible. Reporting the incident with management is important for a number of reasons. One such reason is that, if you do decide to make a claim, you will need to show evidence that it actually took place. But it is also a fact that it is a legal requirement to take down a record of any workplace injuries which might occur.
Knowing If You Have A Case
One of the main concerns for many people in this situation is knowing whether or not they actually have a case. Increasingly, people are becoming more and more aware of their legal rights when it comes to these kinds of incidents. If you have any kind of injury at work which is not your fault, you might be eligible to claim compensation. Of course, the process for doing so can be difficult and complex. As such, it is often best to seek help from a firm such as this El Paso personal injury attorney. With the right kind of help on board, you will probably find that the whole situation is much easier to deal with. They will be able to tell you whether or not you have a viable case against your employer. If you do, then there is a very specific route which you will need to follow. Your attorney should take you through this themselves, but let’s have a look now too.
Making A Claim
If you have decided that you are in a position to make a claim, then you need to follow a specific procedure. First of all, you will inform your attorney that you wish to follow through with the claim. It is likely that they will take you through what you can expect to happen at this point. You should also bear in mind that they will need certain pieces of information from you at this stage. The more you can remember about the incident, the better. However, it doesn’t matter too much if you have forgotten one or two details. It is at this point that the attorney will also inform you whether or not they are happy to take your case. If they are not, you are free to try your hand with another attorney, or to drop it altogether. It is entirely up to you.
At the start of the case, you will file legal papers in court, referred to as pleadings. The first of these is usually called the complaint, which is relatively self-explanatory. This is where you make your official complaint against the defendant. Here, you outline what happened, as well as why you believe you are entitled to compensation. Undergoing medical testing increases the likelihood that your employer will understand the full extent of your injury. Without a doctor’s diagnosis, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company will most likely deny your claim. However, by providing your employer with a doctor’s order, you can reduce the likelihood of a rejection. Of course, your attorney should help you with all of this as well.
Shortly after this, the defendant should issue an answer to the complaint. This might include their own statement of facts regarding the incident. It will also state clearly whether or not they agree with whatever is being claimed.
The Discovery Process
After that has begun, it is time for the legal procedure known as discovery. This is what you might think of as the evidence-gathering part of the process. In most cases, you yourself will not have much to do with this part of things. However, this stage is hugely important, as it lays the way for the remainder of the case. During the discovery process, you might find that further evidence is brought to the light. If you are lucky, it will help you. However, it goes without saying that it could bring up evidence which actually hinders you. Your attorney should help you to prepare for either case.
Settlement
Statistically, it is much more likely that your case will settle than go to trial. Settlement means that you and the other party come to a fair agreement outside of court. This is often preferable for everyone involved. However, this is not how it always turns out. It might be that the case is taken to trial, in which case it can take a lot longer. No matter what happens, you should ensure that you are constantly seeking advice from your attorney.
