Of all houses in North America, 75% feature roof shingles. This seemingly innocuous statement hides a rather disturbing fact. Many workers slip and fall when outfitting houses with shingles. And it’s not just roof accidents that happen.
re are many slip and fall accidents that happen at the workplace. These could happen at construction sites, in offices, and in other public spaces. When you slip and fall in your place at work, many things could happen pretty fast. You could end up being absent from work and suffer a potential loss of income. In fact, close to a quarter of slip and fall accidents result in 31 days’ absence from work. Luckily, there are ways you can recover from a workplace accident. Below are four of these:
1. Get First-aid Fast
Your immediate concern after a workplace accident is to get help fast. The first few moments after an accident are very critical to full recovery later on. Before you seek the professional treatment that you need, get your condition stabilized through first aid. If bleeding is involved, apply pressure on the affected area to try to stop it. Be on the lookout for bruises, broken bones, and swelling that happens immediately after an accident. If need be, call or get someone to call 911 if you suspect you need treatment immediately.
2. Seek Treatment as Quickly as Possible
Immediate treatment gets you on the mend quickly and minimizes the time you may need to stay away from work as you recover. The problem with delaying treatment is that you could get worse. The implications of this could be lost wages, more pain, and, in general, disruption of your life. The best course of action is the one you take immediately after you are hurt.
3. Be Positive
Your attitude after a workplace accident could determine how fast you bounce back and reclaim your lifestyle. Don’t be overly concerned if your recovery seems to be taking too long. Allow your body time to heal itself. It’s normal to feel frustrated, and one can be forgiven for the occasional bout of depression as you recover, especially if you experience unforeseen complications that set back your healing. Nevertheless, do your best to stay positive and believe that you will soon be back on your feet.
To get through the challenging terrain of healing, keep family and friends close. Their encouragement and support could be all you need to heal faster. They are also there to cheer you up whenever you feel discouraged, or when the pain becomes unbearable. If you stay positive and look for the silver lining in the darkest cloud, your recovery will come sooner than you expect.
4. Lodge a Workers Compensation Claim
You deserve compensation should you get hurt at your workplace. The compensation benefits both the employee and the employer. The employer doesn’t pay for compensation, the insurer does. On the other hand, an employee gets compensated for injury and loss of income among other benefits.
Insurance companies, however, will try all they can to avoid paying out compensation or paying as little as possible. Luckily, with a good compensation lawyer, you can at least get all that you deserve from an insurer. Should the accident and the resulting injuries have been due to the recklessness of your employer, you might be entitled to further compensation. Your lawyer should be able to advise on the best course of action, one of which could be filing a personal injury lawsuit. When suing for personal injury, you could seek economic and non-economic damages so you can get back to your lifestyle as soon as possible.
A workplace accident could change your lifestyle in an instant. Fortunately, you can bounce back pretty quickly if you remain positive and see your current predicament as just a temporary setback. As you recover, consider seeking compensation if your injury occurred when you were at work. You might also be entitled to more compensation if the accident was a result of negligence from your employer. During the recovery period, surround yourself with friends and family for support and encouragement.