Hiring a Construction Accident Lawyer to Protect Your Rights

Just because you are hurt working a job under which you agreed to the conditions does not mean your employer should not compensate you for your damages. This is where many employees find themselves confused and sometimes left out in the cold. While conditions and worker's rights have come a long way in just a short decade or two, there are still plenty of employers who believe in an exploitive method of getting the most from their workers. If you are hurt and find yourself facing the cold shoulder from your employer, you may need to hire a construction accident lawyer to protect your rights.

Quick Reporting

One of the best things you can do for yourself when you are hurt on the job is make sure that you report the incident quickly. Obviously, if it is a major incident that attracts a lot of attention, you will not have to worry much about this step, as the wheels are automatically in motion. But some incidents are on a much smaller scale, even though their ramifications can be just as great. Fall off scaffolding into a pile of light tubes, and the entire crew is going to notice. Trip over a pile of hardhats and break your wrist and it may be up to you to go tell someone. Do not wait until later to do this, as timing could mean everything when it comes to making a successful claim.

Medical Care

You cannot go wrong by seeking medical care, even if you do not think that you need it. Sometimes injuries take some time to develop to their full potential. Many a construction accident lawyer has seen cases where workers have suffered what they thought was a very minor injury, only to realize later that they were hurt worse than they thought. If you see a doctor immediately following the incident, he will most likely be able to tell you the full extent of the injury. If you wait and see the doctor after the extent becomes obvious to you, there could be questions and doubts as to whether the incident in question was the origination.

Keep Records

You should be meticulous about keeping records pertaining to your injury. Your incident report, any worker's compensation claim you make, a copy of your workplace handbook, and your medical paperwork can all be very important when it comes to making a claim or filing a lawsuit. If you miss days from work, take note of which ones they were in case the company's records do not match up with yours. A construction accident lawyer will find it much easier to move forward based on how much documentation you can provide.