Every year, there are almost 3 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses. All it takes is a small mistake to trip and fall, after all.

In most cases, you can just dust yourself off and get back up with little to no injuries. But there are some unfortunate circumstances where your injury is bad enough that you need to go to the hospital and take some time off.

If you’ve had a slip and fall at work, here are the proper steps you need to take afterward to ensure you get taken care of.

Gather Information About the Scene

Immediately after your injury, you should take pictures of the environment. This can help determine what caused your injury and help you gather proof that your employer is responsible.

If your injury is serious, then have a coworker, friend, or family member do this step for you. You should then proceed to the next step.

Get Medical Attention

Even if your injuries seem minor after your slip and fall accident, you need to go get medical attention. This achieves several things.

First of all, they’ll be able to examine you and see if there are any further injuries you might not be aware of. When you slip, the adrenaline and shock can mask pain. Also, some injuries can take hours or even days to show up, but the doctor will be able to pinpoint them early on so you get prompt treatment.

Also, when you file paperwork, you’ll have proof that you sought medical attention immediately. This will show that you were actually injured and that you aren’t just trying to get compensation without reason.

Notify Your Employer About the Slip and Fall at Work

Once you’ve received any urgent medical care, you need to immediately notify your employer about your slip and fall. In your report, you need to state what injuries you have, where the slip and fall happened, and any other pertinent details.

The longer you want to report the accident, the lower the chances you’ll get fair compensation. So it’s vital you notify your employer ASAP.

Seek a Slip and Fall Attorney

Next, you need to seek the help of a personal injury lawyer. Bring the information you’ve gathered and your medical records.

With this information, your attorney will be able to help you file for workers’ compensation. They can also explain anything you don’t understand and be your advocate.

Your employer’s insurance company will want to pay out as little as possible to you and they might even try to claim you weren’t injured on the job. So you need someone to be your voice and to fight for what you deserve.

Make Sure You’re Fairly Compensated

If you slip and fall at work, you need to make sure you’ll be properly taken care of, both physically and financially. Make sure you’re proactive and take immediate action right after your accident. Your workers’ comp case depends on it!

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