Top 5 Things to Do Before You Call Your Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury lawyer can help if you’ve been injured in Kansas City or the surrounding Missouri area. The cost of being injured extends beyond just the medical bills: having an injury can lead to missed work, lost jobs, and in the worst cases, entire lifestyle changes. So if you’ve been injured in an accident at work, Northland Injury Law can help ensure you’re taken care of.

A personal injury lawyer will help you seek worker’s compensation benefits if you’ve been injured on the job. Far too often, workers assume that injuries are part of their job and fail to seek benefits or help. In reality, any injury that occurs while you are doing your job should be covered by your employer’s worker’s compensation insurance. The personal injury lawyer team at Northland Injury Law will help ensure you receive these benefits in Missouri.

If you experience an accident at work, please follow these five crucial steps:

1. Report the Injury

Reporting any injury immediately to your employer is a necessary first step. Try to get pictures of the scene as well. Filing an incident report can create a record of the injury, including the time, location, and other relevant details. This documentation will help to ensure that your case doesn’t rely on your recollection of the circumstances surrounding your injury.

Also, make sure you get a copy of the report, and once you leave the building, don’t have any further contact with your employer or their insurance provider. A representative from their insurance company may contact you to provide a recorded statement. Do not give them a statement without consulting your own personal injury lawyer.

1. Seek Medical Attention

Seeking medical help after an injury at work is an essential next task after reporting the incident. This is especially true if the injury is a head injury, as head injuries can be challenging to identify on your own. A timely diagnosis is a key to receiving the necessary treatment and avoiding further complications.

1. Make Sure Your Employer Files Claim

Suppose an injury requires more than immediate first aid with no further medical treatment or lost time from work. In that case, an employer must report the injury to the Division of Workers’ Compensation within 30 days of you reporting the injury. This report can be electronically filed. Employers must also report injuries to their workers’ compensation insurance carrier within five days of the injury or report.

1. Keep Copies of Your Documents

Remember to keep all documents related to your case in one place and share them with your legal team. An organized and detailed record of what has occurred will increase your chances of receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Pertinent information includes:

• Your original notice of injury to your employer (incident report);
• Patient discharge summaries;
• Medical bills;
• Daily journaling of any pain you experience; and
• A record of any other expenses or treatment you may incur as a result of your injury (physical therapy, chiropractic care, mileage to and from medical appointments, needing to hire out lawn care since you are now unable to do so yourself, prescription costs, etc).

1. Call a Lawyer

After these other steps are taken, contact a personal injury lawyer at Northland Injury Law. Our team can advise you on any further actions to take and additional information you need to know to ensure you are compensated for your injuries.

Our team of lawyers at Northland Injury Law has a track record you can trust and can help you win your workman’s compensation claim. If you’ve been injured at work in Missouri, call us at (816) 400-4878 for a free consultation or click here to visit our virtual office.