While most businesses will do everything they can to keep you safe and healthy while you’re at work, there are going to be occasions where something happens, and you may end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
If this results in an injury, it can be an extremely difficult and confusing time, and if you’ve never been in this situation before, it can be hard to know what to do, how to proceed, and what your rights are.
Today, we’re aiming to clear up any confusions you may have by detailing everything you need to know to get the best result and know everything you can do if you’re involved in an accident at work that wasn’t your fault.
Do Nothing
To start with, one option you have is to do absolutely nothing. Let’s say you’ve broken your leg in a machine in the factory you’re working in. You may go to the hospital, claim the expenses on your health insurance, take some time off work, and then come back when you’re ready.
You’re entitled to do this if you want, but there are a few problems. Firstly, your insurance company may not pay for everything, or cover you for the full amount. What’s more, if you claim on your insurance, your premiums can rise dramatically.
If you’re in hospital for something that wasn’t your fault, why should you have to pay higher premiums? What’s more, if you’re off work because of your injury and you’re not paid during this time, how are you going to pay for your bills and keep your life running smoothly?
This is why it’s important to consider your options.
Claiming Against the Company
For this example, we’re going to assume you have the accident in your own workplace. Firstly, you need to define what caused the accident, and why it wasn’t your fault. Has someone not done their job properly which caused you to be injured?
Perhaps standard safety procedures have not been followed, and something’s gone wrong, or perhaps this was a problem that hasn’t been anticipated before. Whatever the case, if the company or an employee is at fault, they are liable to pay for your bills because they were the one that caused it.
This means getting legal assistance, like the assistance found at Polito & Associates, to go through the proper channels and make sure the case is filled out correctly and all legal paperwork is completed. Of course, the chances are the company won’t like you claiming against them, and if they’re not happy to pay out, you may end up going to court.
This is why it’s so important to make sure you weren’t at fault. If you were in an accident because you were in an area of the workplace you shouldn’t be in, or you weren’t following the correct safety protocols, you can be found at fault, and then you’ll have to deal with the consequences.
Summary
As you can see, you have several options to follow through with if you find yourself in a workplace accident situation. However, it’s always best to get professional legal advice because they’ll be able to tell you what you can do for your individual situation.
