Injury & Malpractice Attorney Serving Clients Near Dallas, Ft. Worth, Plano, Arlington, Irving, North Texas & Arkansas
Thousands of Texans suffer serious work injuries every year. Many of them are denied fair compensation because they don't protect themselves as they should after a work injury. If you think you were hurt at work because of someone else's negligence, please call the experienced Dallas work injury lawyer at Polewski & Associates, at 972.230.6200. Here are some steps to take if you have been hurt at work:
Report the Work Injury Right Away
Most workers who suffer a job-related injury, such as a back injury at work, are very hesitant to report the injury. People feel like they will be perceived as "complainers" or "whiners" if they report a work injury before they know how serious their injury is. And very often, back, neck, knee or arm pain that a strong man or woman thinks will just go away with a good night's rest turns out to be a very serious job injury which needs medical treatment.
But no employee should ever delay at all in reporting a job injury or accident. Failure to report a job-related accident or work injury can result in workers' compensation benefits being denied.
Keep Notes of Everything That Happens
These days, most everyone has a camera on their phone. You should use that camera to take pictures of the job accident scene and any injuries related to your job accident or construction accident, as well as your injuries. You should keep notes of everything you said to report your work injury, and everything your employer did in response to your report.
If there were witnesses, you should keep track of who those people were and what they saw. Keep track of all of your visits to the doctor -- particularly if you are sent to a doctor selected by your employer, as opposed to your own doctor. Often these doctors will do little or no examination, and declare that you are "fine"when you are really badly hurt.
Get Medical Attention for Your Injury
If you are injured in a work-related accident, you have a right to be examined by your own doctor, and to be examined soon. Your employer may not provide medical help, or an insurance company delay sending you to a doctor, but you should never wait for anyone else to get you medical help if you need it. Texas workers' compensation law specifically provides that you get to choose your own doctor. Don't feel like you're forced to see a doctor chosen by your boss.
If you don't have a doctor and you need medical care, you are far better off going to an emergency room to be checked out than waiting. Something could be seriously wrong with you, such as a traumatic brain injury, and waiting for your employer or an insurance company to send you to their doctor can result in a bad injury becoming much worse.
Call an Experienced Work Injury Lawyer
If your employer won't let you see a doctor, or won't help you file a job injury claim, or makes trouble for you because you report an injury, you should call a qualified lawyer right away. And if you were hurt at work because of somebody else's negligence, you should always call a lawyer right away. Workers' compensation is good to have, but if your injury was caused by someone else's negligence, you may be entitled to much more.
If you have been hurt at work and believe the injury was caused by someone else's negligence, or are being denied your rights, please call Polewski & Associates at 972.230.6200 for a free case evaluation with an experienced Dallas work injury lawyer.
