1. If it is an emergency, the most important thing for you to take care of is your health, so go automatically to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
2. Report the injury right away or as soon as possible to a supervisor or some other person in charge. Write down the time and date you spoke with your supervisor.
   
3. Request a Notice of Injury form ASAP and remember to keep a copy for yourself. If the employer refuses to provide a claim form, it is important that you send the employer a letter by certified mail return receipt (where they sign for the letter) or hand deliver the letter to the employer and write down the date, time, and the name of the person to whom you delivered the letter. The letter should indicate the date of your injury, and the parts of the body injured.
4. Copy down the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses, if possible. Over time you will likely forget their names and contact information.
5. If you were using a tool or machinery when you were injured, copy down the name of the manufacturer, model, serial number and any other identifying information. Tell your supervisor to take the product out of service.
   
6. Take photographs of the area where you were injured, any tools or machinery involved in your injury, and of your injuries.
   
7. Obtain medical treatment as soon as possible after the injury occurs. If your employer refuses to provide treatment, go to a hospital room as soon as possible. Remember to tell the doctor that your injury occurred at work. It is critical that you provide the doctor with a complete history of what happened and all your symptoms for your health and to make sure that your claim is well documented. Although not impossible, it is difficult to add other body parts to a claim if there are no complaints of pain close in time to the injury, in many cases.
8. Make sure you attend all your doctor appointments. Make sure to be open and honest with your physician about previous injuries and your current injuries.Your employer’s insurance company will dig into your background to find any previous injuries that you did not disclose.
9. Keep a journal or diary of your doctor appointments.
10. If your injury is likely to result in either permanent injury or an inability to do the job you had when you were injured, you should contact an attorney right away.

To speak with one of our Workers' Compensation attorneys today call 800-940-8048. If you would like us to contact you, please complete the contact us form. Our attorneys never charge a fee for consultations and are available at night and on the weekends.

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