Exploring Lawyer Services For Fighting Criminal Charges

Posted on: 25 April 2017

Falls and accidents can be embarrassing. It's not uncommon for people to shrug off a fall and tell everyone that they are fine when they're actually in pain. Other times, they may not feel anything at first because the adrenaline rush from the accident and the embarrassment can actually mask pain. And in many cases, a person may not feel pain until the next day. That is because it often takes time for inflammation and swelling to develop. In addition, it may take some time, but the muscles in the surrounding area may begin to spasm around the site of the injury depending on what occurred. It is for these and other reasons that if you should have a fall or accident at work, you should always fill out the appropriate paperwork, even if you have no apparent injuries immediately after the accident.

Another reason? Falls, even relatively minor ones, can result in bruises that, in turn, could put you at risk for serious blood clots. According to WebMD, a recent study showed that even a minor leg injury could increase your risk of a serious blood clot, such as a pulmonary embolism, by threefold. The problem is that employees often don't report minor falls or twists of their ankles to their employers, especially if they believe that their initial injury is very minor. Then a few days later when the employee ends up in the hospital with a blood clot, they suddenly realize that it may be related to the fall they did not report. And it can be much harder to prove an employee's worker's compensation case if they have no record of the fall with their employer. 

So what should you do if you have a minor incident, such as a slip and fall or if you twist your ankle at work? You should always:

• Fill out the appropriate accident reports. No matter how minor your incident, take the time to complete a report.
• Write down the names of any witnesses. If you have to file for worker's compensation, you may need to prove that your injury is work related. So you may need to have the names of anyone who saw your accident occur. 
• Watch what you say. During a worker's compensation case, the lawyers for your employer's insurance company will talk to your doctors and witnesses, so it's important not to say anything that could raise doubts about your case. For example, you don't want to tell a doctor that your injury could be related to an incident from your past. It will just raise doubts about your current claim.

So, remember, no matter how minor your fall or injury appears, always report it to your employer and at least consult with a workers compensation lawyer.