Workplaces are meant to be spaces of safety and efficiency, ensuring that employees are as productive as can be. However, it isn’t uncommon for accidents to occur at workplaces. These accidents take many forms, ranging from slip-and-fall incidents to injuries incurred by falling objects.
Suffering a significant injury like a work injury at your office can be an extremely confusing time because many people are unprepared for such mishaps. Therefore, you can easily make crucial mistakes by doing things you aren’t supposed to do and vice versa. Luckily, we’re here to guide you on what to do next after being injured at work. Below are some critical steps to take after injuring your neck at work.
Consult a doctor.
Seeing a doctor is by far the most important thing you must do after suffering any injury. Therefore, consult your healthcare provider as soon as possible after your workplace accident. Your doctor can assess your injuries properly to determine whether they pose long-term threats to your overall health. A doctor’s assessment can also unearth injuries you didn’t even know about and prevent them from worsening over time. Consequently, visit your doctor immediately after your accident to prevent your neck injury from potentially worsening. Health and work-related insurance are always vital when visiting a doctor due to high healthcare costs, so it’s always prudent to invest in a great insurance plan. Helpful online comparison sites such as iSelect.com.au can help you find the right insurance provider in the health insurance marketplace.
iSelect.com.au is Australia’s leading online comparison site, helping many consumers find and compare personal finance, utilities, and insurance companies. You can explore private health insurance plans for you, your partner, and your entire family to ensure you’re choosing the best insurance policy despite the rising costs of healthcare. Your Medicare plan only covers the bare minimum and might not suffice for your unique needs. For instance, there’s no dental, physiotherapy, or optical coverage under Medicare. Consequently, you can consider private health insurance plans from some of Australia’s top health insurers like HCF, Latrobe, and Frank Health Insurance to enjoy extra coverage. These private health insurance plans also provide more choice and flexibility, helping you avoid long waiting lists for treatments. What’s more, iSelect.com.au has provided over 1 million online insurance comparisons since 2015, helping many Australians find the right health plan conveniently and affordably while enjoying peace of mind.
Consult a workers’ compensation attorney.
You may be entitled to compensation benefits following your workplace accident. Therefore, consulting a workers’ compensation lawyer is the right thing to do before filing any claims. These lawyers often offer free consultations and legal advice, helping you maximize your compensation benefits by building a compelling case. Consequently, consider hiring legal professionals with years of experience in the personal injury field to help you obtain your due benefits. Similarly, you can consult other employee-oriented lawyers to handle any labor-related legal issues outside of workers’ compensation when the need arises. For instance, labor law representation exists for unions and labor organizations to assist them with collective bargaining negotiations. A good labor lawyer can arbitrate a broad range of grievances, from suspensions to unfair labor practices. Also, your labor lawyer can help with merger and affiliation proceedings, civil service appeals, and other legal matters involving labor law.
Track all your symptoms.
Personally tracking your symptoms is also essential after suffering your workplace neck injury, so keep this in mind. As such, keep an updated symptoms list on your phone, computer, or piece of paper since your doctor may not always keep a complete record of your symptoms. Many minor injuries can turn out to be long-term, debilitating conditions and can even be your most significant injury claim moving forward. In addition, monitoring your symptoms along the way can reveal the need for better treatment options like surgery.
Many people often consider spine surgery or neck surgery after battling neck and back pain for some time. If you’re considering a surgical procedure, going through a cervical neck surgery recovery guide is one of the best ways to prepare. You can learn about the different types of surgeries available for neck pain, like an anterior cervical discectomy that addresses the pain of a herniated disc by replacing it with a bone graft. Additionally, you can also learn about physical therapy, keeping a clean surgical site to reduce the risk of infection, and other recovery tips to speed up the healing process post-surgery.
Take time off for self-care.
Taking good care of yourself after your workplace injury, so consider taking enough time off to recuperate. It’s essential to follow all doctor’s orders to ensure full recovery from your job injury within this period. Your doctor will typically recommend a lot of bed rest, good nutrition, and limited activities during your recovery. Ignoring these recommendations can lead to severe setbacks and even aggravate your workplace injury. As such, allow your body the time it needs to heal and recover properly, ensuring that you return to work faster and healthier.
Also, since this period requires enough rest and limited activity, you might require assistance with many personal tasks and some chores around the house. Therefore, if you’re in Beaverton, Washington County, or the Portland area, consider hiring an in-home care provider in Beaverton, OR, to assist you with your needs during your time off. These home care providers are compassionate caregivers that offer seniors and other clients quality services like housekeeping, pet care, shopping, companionship, and meal preparation in the comfort of their own home.
Inform your colleagues.
Telling your colleagues about your neck injury is essential, mainly if you were working alone at the time of the accident. Informing your colleagues about the accident is crucial if you later decide to make a compensation claim or if there’s an investigation afterward. This way, your employer, their insurers, and lawyers cannot dispute the accident’s occurrence or downplay the incident’s severity. Furthermore, informing your colleagues about your accident may alert them to potential workplace hazards, ensuring no con-worker suffers a similar injury and boosting overall workplace safety.
To conclude, knowing the correct steps to take following a workplace accident is crucial to coping with the situation appropriately. The points above are some things you should do after suffering a neck injury at work.
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