You may be wondering what happens if you get injured at work in Texas. There are steps you should take if you are hurt on the job. Below, we outline these steps for you.
See a Healthcare Professional Immediately
You must immediately seek medical attention if you have been hurt at work. Texas workplace injuries happen in a variety of settings. Some of the more common areas are listed below:
- Oil fields
- Construction zones
- Logging areas
- Commercial fishing boats
- Transportation-related jobs
- Utility work
- Warehouses
- Railway jobs
Seeking medical attention is crucial. You may not realize you are hurt immediately, as some injuries take longer to manifest. Waiting until you're in pain to see a doctor is both dangerous and bad for a potential personal injury claim. One issue is that your injury could have been headed off if you received treatment earlier.
Another issue is the insurance companies will do all they can not to be found liable for your injuries. So, they are not above claiming the injury happened outside of work. It is best to see a doctor as soon as the accident occurs to have proper documentation if it is needed in the future.
Your Rights to Healthcare
If you are injured at work, there are certain rights that you may not be aware of. Some of these are as follows:
- You can choose who treats you. You can go to the medical professional of your choice.
- You are allowed to seek treatment for the harm that befell you.
- You have the right to choose where and who performs diagnostic tests, procedures, surgeries, and / or necessary treatments.
Even if you do not consider your injuries a big deal, we implore you to seek medical attention immediately following the work accident. If your injuries are more serious than you expected, you can begin treatment and avoid them worsening.
Seeing a doctor provides an accounting of your injuries so that insurance companies cannot later dispute that the injuries you suffered happened on the job.
File an Injury Report with Your Employer
If you are hurt at work and your employer subscribes to the Texas workers’ compensation system, you have 30 days from when the injury happened to report the injury to your employer. If you do not meet this deadline, the compensation you should obtain might be threatened.
Even if you do not feel that your injury is serious, inform your manager or supervisor of the accident’s details. By doing this, you are providing proof that your injuries occurred at work. Retain a copy of this injury report for your own records in case it becomes necessary later.
Submit a Workplace Injury Report
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a workplace injury report that you must fill out if you are hurt at work. The following details are noted in this report:
- You will provide your identifying information.
- You will submit detailed information about who your employer or supervisor was when the accident took place.
- You must provide a list of your injuries.
- A detailed accounting of how the injury could have been avoided.
- A timeline of events leading up to the injury.
- The injured party’s record of treatment and care received following the injury.
- You must account for what you were doing when the injury happened.
- If you re-injured a part of your body, you must detail how other injuries occurred and when.
Fill out this report with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) even if your employer pushes back on the idea. Keep a copy in a safe place since you may need it at a later date.
Follow Medical Advice and Treatment Recommendations
Injured people must follow all instructions that their doctors or medical professionals give them. This means taking the time to attend all follow-up appointments and adhere to all healthcare advice. Some ways you should follow up include:
- If you are advised to make an appointment with a specialist, you should do that. Specialists can offer extra information about your injuries and can recommend appropriate treatment protocols.
- If your doctor suggests a medical test, take it. All tests will provide more information about your condition. Knowing more means that treatment plans can be more specific.
- Therapy may be suggested, depending on your injuries. Do all you can to heal by attending therapy as suggested. This can help you get better and will prove to a court or the insurance companies that you did all you could to help yourself recover after the injuries happened.
- If you need wound care, make sure that it is handled. Dressings sometimes require changing, so do what your medical professional advises.
- Refrain from going back to your job too soon. Follow the advice of your medical team and only return to work when you are cleared to do so by your doctor.
- You should attend any and all follow-up appointments. This ensures you the best chance of fully recovering and allows the insurance company and potentially the court to understand you did everything in your power to improve.
- Just because you feel better does not mean that you can just quit following the healthcare protocol you were given. This can lead to reinjury or not recovering properly. Your employer’s lawyers will not look kindly on this at all.
- Follow doctors’ orders so that you do not make your injuries worse.
Listen to your doctor and follow their orders. Your health is the number one priority, so following healthcare treatment recommendations means you are taking the best care of yourself possible.
Following doctors’ orders also demonstrates to the insurance companies that you are doing everything you can to carefully and diligently prioritize healing. By filing a claim and following your medical providers’ instructions, you can prove that you did everything the right way.
Employ a Lawyer to Help You with Your Texas Workplace Injury
The law around injuries at work can be tricky. If you have sustained a workplace injury, receiving the benefits you are entitled to can be challenging. We are here to handle the difficult parts on your behalf. By allowing the legal professionals at Farah Law to advocate on your behalf, you are more likely to be fairly compensated for your workplace injury.
We will ensure that you know your legal rights and will advise you about your options throughout the process. By having informed, experienced workplace injury attorneys by your side, you can rest assured that you are not risking your case and that your rights are always protected.
Contact a workplace injury attorney with Farah Law as soon as possible if you are injured in an on-the-job accident in Texas. We can help you manage catastrophic injuries, incidents of temporary or permanent disability, and the damages you sustained. Our clients deserve peace of mind following a workplace injury, and our entire legal team is committed to seeing that they get just that.
Speak to A Personal Injury Lawyer About Protecting Your Rights Today
The workplace accident attorneys at Farah Law has the experience and refined skills needed when it comes to protecting our clients who have sustained injuries at work to ensure their rights are protected. We will insulate you from the headaches of protecting yourself by fielding communication, negotiating and advocating on your behalf, and keeping you informed of your options.
We understand employment law and how injuries should be handled, so you will never have to wonder whether what you are being told is accurate or not. We will make sure that you have a clear picture of how you should proceed during every step.
Contact us today for a free consultation. We will review your case and let you know how we can help you. Our goal is to handle the legal complexities so you can focus on healing.
