Injured At Work? Here’s What To Do.

If your workplace injury was sudden and severe, you may have been taken to the emergency room in an ambulance. Now, after the emergency is past, ongoing treatment and perhaps surgery or therapy lies ahead. You likely wonder about financial, legal and occupational consequences of your injury. What should you do next? What steps can you take to protect and maximize workers’ compensation benefits for which you may be eligible?

Consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Office of Ellene Welsh. Call 770-489-3456  to schedule a free case analysis with us. We have offices in Douglasville and Columbus, and we advocate for workers throughout west Georgia.

The First Step After A Workplace Injury

Perhaps your job-related injury was not a sudden, traumatic event, but rather, a medical condition that developed over time. You may not have seen a doctor at all yet, but you know or believe you were injured on the job. Perhaps you became ill because of your work environment or activities. You, too, wonder what to do.

Keep in mind that every case is unique. The best way to ensure your rights are protected is to contact a knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyer at our firm who can evaluate the facts and advise you. Meanwhile, you can take actions to help yourself:

• Seek medical attention as soon as possible.
• Report your injury to your employer.
• Make sure your employer prepares an accident report, and ask for a copy.
• Keep detailed records of everything related to your injury, your recovery and communications with doctors and others handling your case. A calendar, a daily log and files containing bills and other official documents are all valuable tools. Details can become overwhelming in a hurry. This is another important reason to contact an attorney early in your case. The Law Office of Ellene Welsh can take over the tedious work of gathering, organizing, preserving and interpreting documentation for you.
• Learn about your rights and about how to protect them. Again, having an attorney on your side is the best way to get all the information that you need — relevant to your case and in terms you can understand. If you need advice about which doctors to see (approved by the workers’ compensation system, with good reputations), an experienced lawyer can guide you in this and other decisions you may need to make. If your employer, the insurer or a health care professional tells you something that doesn’t sound right, you will have a knowledgeable advocate ready to watch out for you.
• Take an experienced attorney’s advice about how and when to file a workers’ compensation claim to your best advantage. For example, you might want to wait until doctors give you a long-term prognosis before filing a claim for income benefits. However, you do not want to miss important deadlines. A lawyer on your side can help prevent mistakes like this.
• Follow doctors’ advice about treatment, rest, therapy and follow-up care. It may be important to demonstrate that you are doing all you can to recover as fully as you can.
• What about your job? A lawyer on your side can advise you on how to communicate with your employer and what to do if your boss tells you that you will lose your job.

For more complete, personalized instructions on what to do after an on-the-job accidental injury, talk to us at the Law Office of Ellene Welsh.

Free Information, Advice And Advocacy For Injured Georgia Workers

If you wonder how to get the medical care and benefits you need after a work injury in west Georgia, contact us online or call 770-489-3456. Initial consultations are free. We look forward to the opportunity to advise and guide you with the goal of protecting your right to full, fair compensation.

Also, learn what to do if your job is making you ill. We represent Georgia workers who suffer from occupational diseases as well as those who have suffered traumatic injuries on the job.

We handle workers’ compensation cases on a contingency fee basis. In other words, you will not pay attorney’s fees until we help you recover compensation.