You were recently injured and you are confused and scared. These are common emotions following an injury. You probably have a lot of questions and you are probably wondering what to do immediately following your injury. Should you consult an attorney? Should you document any medical procedures or records? Should you consult with human resources, if it were a work related injury? Who will pay for your medical costs? What about your time off of work? These are all normal questions, as the injury process can be very scary. When you are involved in any type of injury, it is important to focus on these following steps.
Get medical help first. Your health and your wellbeing are most important. The same goes with any other people who were involved in the accident or the injury. It is important to always call for medical help, immediately following an accident, regardless of who is at fault. The legal points and the details of the injury can be worked out after medical help is given. Car accidents are a common source of injury, and an ambulance should always be immediately called. The leading cause of work related fatalities in 2012 was transportation incidents, accounting for 42% of the total. Other leading causes of fatalities were homicides and suicides (16% of total), contact with objects and equipment (16%), and falls, slips and trips (15%). (U.S. DOL 2013).
After medical help is sought, it may be important to call local police authorities to document the injury or the accident. Having legal document of the situation can help out any required legal cases. Brain injury settlements may be easier when there is accident and medical record documentation. It is also important to hold onto any medical documents of any treatments that were receiving. Brain injury settlements may also include medical costs, and it will be important to have documentation of all medical services that were received.
Consulting an attorney may also be part of the process, if someone else were at fault for the accident. Brain injury settlements require a lawyer to take the case to court. A car accident attorney may be necessary when the personal injury occurred from a car accident. A brain injury lawyer will be a great resource for brain injury settlements. One you find a personal injury lawyer that you want to represent you, they are likely to give you a list of additional documents that you may need for your case. An attorney for workers compensation can help you with filing for workers compensation. The type of attorney that is needed and their specific tasks will entirely depend on the nature of the accident, the outcome of the accident and the factors that were involved in the incident.
Going further, you will have to document any additional medical records from medical services received. You will also have to provide documentation of any necessary time off of work. These are all things that you will fight for during your legal case. Injuries and illnesses to women for all ownerships accounted for 39% of the total days away from work cases in 2014. Compared with men, women had higher incidence rates and number of cases associated with intentional violence by persons, falls on the same level, and repetitive motion. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Additionally, a preliminary total of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2013. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Personal injury and work related accidents are common legal case.
You will likely experience a lot of emotions and confusion following an injury. You will wonder what steps are appropriate to take, especially when someone else is at fault. The exact steps you take will depend on the type of injury and the factors surrounding the legal basis of the case. However, it is important to always receive medical care when needed, file a police report when appropriate, document any medical needs and visits and report any time off of work. It may also be necessary to consult with and to hire an attorney that represents the type of case you are going after.