Personal Injury Lawyer
Regardless of what you do for work, your employer and the people you work with have a responsibility to provide a certain level of care for you while on the job, and you have that responsibility for your coworkers as well. If you feel that duty of care was violated, and you received an injury as a result, you may have a case for compensation. What if you work in a hazardous environment? You still have that protection and might still have a case. The following are some steps you should take.
Report the Accident to Your Employer
If you wish to receive workers’ compensation for your workplace injuries, it’s important you report the accident to your employer right away. Every state has a time limit for which you have to do this, so be sure you get it done in time. If you wait too long, you could forfeit the right to compensation.
Seek Medical Attention
Whether you work in a particularly hazardous environment, or the most mellow office in town, your injuries could be more serious than you think. It’s important you seek medical attention immediately. If your injury warranted a call to 911, you may have already had care given in the emergency room at the hospital. If not, you may want to contact your primary care physician to get checked out. Not only does this help to ensure your good health, it also gives you a basis to work from when seeking a proper amount of compensation.
Contact a Lawyer
You’re probably going to have a lot of legal issues to deal with now that you’ve been injured on the job in a hazardous environment. Aside from filing a workers’ compensation claim, there could be another responsible party that you will file a lawsuit against. For example, you could receive compensation through workers’ comp for a chemical burn sustained on the job. If the chemical wasn’t packaged or sealed correctly to begin with, you might be able to seek compensation through a lawsuit against the chemical manufacturer.
Getting Started Today
Whether you knowingly work in a hazardous environment, or your workplace became hazardous due to the negligence of another individual or entity, you are more than likely entitled to compensation for your injuries. To learn more about what your rights are as a hazardous environment worker, or to get started with a lawsuit today, contact a personal injury lawyer, like from Martin Wren, P.C.