When you fall, it’s natural to want to get up and brush yourself off as quickly as possible. While the fall may be embarrassing, you should know that a simple slip and fall could lead to long-term injuries and serious complications. If your injury occurred at work, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses and lost wages.
In order to make sure you’re doing everything you should, here are some tips.
There are many reasons you shouldn’t ignore a slip and fall
Again, falling can be embarrassing, especially if you’re around other people. Often, when adrenaline is high, injuries are ignored, or even not felt at all. However, ignoring everything is the worst decision you can make. The most obvious reason is because of possible significant physical injuries that you may sustain from the fall, including:
- Fractured bones
- Headaches and dizziness
- Neck pain or back discomfort
In addition to the serious obvious injuries that can occur, sometimes the most dangerous ones aren’t the ones that appear to need immediate attention.
A simple fall may end up resulting in long term injuries
It’s easy to get distracted, trip over something, or even just lose your footing. While these accidents can be minor, they can also result in serious injuries that leave you out of work for weeks or months.
The issue is that many believe that a sore back or tweaked knee will go away on its own. While this is totally possible, it could also be an injury that continues to get worse until it causes permanent damage.
Ignoring the fall and the pain for too long will make getting treatment much more difficult, and make workers’ compensation much more difficult to qualify for.
If the fall happened at work, you will be eligible for workers’ compensation
If you’re injured at work, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation is a system that provides medical care and wage replacement to employees who are injured on the job.
Your employer pays workers’ compensation, not you. While you are unable to work, the insurance company covers your medical bills and replaces your wages. This can help reduce your overall financial burden from an on-the-job injury.
All workers are covered by workers’ compensation. As previously mentioned, employers are responsible for paying for employee health insurance. An employee doesn’t need to have medical insurance through the company to be eligible. In fact, they don’t even need to be a full-time employee.
You should keep in mind that not all medical expenses are covered by this policy. It only covers medical bills directly related to an injury on the job. For instance, if you slip and hurt your back, but while being treated, another issue is discovered, it won’t be covered since it has nothing to do with the original accident.
Filing a lawsuit can be stressful, but you have every right to pursue justice for your injuries
If you are not satisfied with the way your employer is handling things, you are entitled to file a lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit can be stressful, but you have every right to pursue justice for your injuries. You do not need an attorney to file a slip and fall lawsuit, but they can help you navigate the legal system and maximize the amount of compensation you receive.
Your attorney will know all the loopholes and arguments the other side may present, which will increase your chances of winning. Even if it costs quite a bit, winning a significant amount of what you deserve is much better than losing and receiving nothing.
Bottom Line
A slip and fall is nothing to ignore. If you feel any pain at all, get looked at by a doctor. Doing so will help build your case and ensure you’re on the road to recovery as soon as possible.