What to Do If You’re Injured at Work: 4 Essential Steps

Getting injured at work is frustrating, anxiety-inducing, and worrying all at once. It can seem like a complicated process when you’re stuck in the eye of the storm – that’s why we’re going to break down exactly what you need to do to make sure that you can prioritise your health and protect your legal rights.

Seek Medical Attention

First things first: your priority following an injury at your place of work (or anywhere, for that matter) should be to seek medical attention immediately. It doesn’t matter if the injury seems minor to you – chances are, you’re not a medical professional; there could be countless things that you miss that a doctor would catch. 

You have several options, depending on the urgency of your symptoms. You can either call 999 to get an ambulance, call 111 for medical advice, go to your nearest hospital’s accident and emergency, or book an appointment with your local GP.

It’s not only vital that you get the opinion of a medical professional and get the best care possible, but also if there’s a chance that you might take legal action down the line, it’ll help your case if the record shows that you immediately sought medical help.

Report To Your Employer

If medical professionals have seen you, the next step is to inform your manager, supervisor, and HR representative of the incident. In most workplace injuries, employees can immediately notify their employer of the incident, as they’ll need to seek medical attention. When you officially log the injury, make sure that you do not stray from company protocol. All employers with 10 or more employees are legally required to keep an accident book, so make sure that the injury is accurately reported in said accident book.

Gather Evidence

To support potential legal cases, gather photographic evidence of your injuries and the scene of the incident, paying close attention to any hazards that you feel may have led to your injuries. On top of that, collect witness statements from any colleagues or visitors who witnessed the event and record their names and contact details. Furthermore, it’s recommended that you keep note of all financial losses you’ve had due to the injury; keep all receipts from related expenses, like prescriptions and other medication, and travel costs to medical appointments.

Seek Professional Legal Advice

Whether or not you feel you know how to proceed, you must inform the basis of your next steps on the expert opinion of a legal professional who is intimately familiar with the process. You should be able to find support wherever you’re based in the country, whether you’re looking for personal injury solicitors in Liverpool or a law firm in Surrey.

Rounding Off

If you’ve recently suffered through the stress and uncertainty of an injury in the workplace, then it’s understandable if you aren’t sure about what you need to do next. We hope that these four points will help you to stay grounded and find the help that you need.