What to Do When You Break Your Arm at Work
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What to Do When You Break Your Arm at Work

When you are in an accident at your place of work that caused you to break your arm, you may be wondering what you should do. Especially if you are not sure whose fault it is, you may be hesitant to file a workers’ compensation claim because you think you will be denied. A good workers’ compensation lawyer, like a workers’ compensation lawyer in Oak Creek, WI, would want you to know that when it comes to workplace accidents that cause injuries, you have rights. When you break your arm at work and need help from an attorney to file a workers’ compensation claim and determine what steps to take, do not hesitate to contact a lawyer to get help.

What should I do immediately following the accident?

Depending on how the accident occurred, you may be in shock. When this happens, it is possible that the pain you experience from breaking your arm will be minimal. This could cause you to do even more damage if you do not know how serious your injuries are. Thus, the most important first steps you should take are:

  1. Seek Medical Help. You can probably determine fairly quickly that you damaged your arm in some way, even if you do not know the extent of your damage. Seek help from a doctor as quickly as possible so they can take X-Rays, conduct a medical exam, write details about your accident and injury down in their report, and give you a treatment place. This is crucial for your healing and for workers’ compensation. 
  2. File Your Accident Report. This should be done as quickly as possible. You may need to quickly send your supervisor an email or note before going to the doctor’s office and wait until after your exam to create a full write-up. It is paramount that you report your accident as soon as you can because any delay in a report can make it look like you were not injured as seriously as you were. Your report works two-fold: it serves as documentation that the accident occurred and it can also help prevent future accidents like this from happening again. 
  3. Determining the Cause of the Accident. This is important. Most clients believe that if they are in some way responsible for the accident they will receive no compensation. This is far from the truth. Workers’ compensation is a great benefit because even if the employee was partially or fully responsible for the accident, it is still possible for them to receive compensation for injuries like a broken arm. That said, if you broke your arm because you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol, you may not expect to receive compensation. 

Speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer, like a workers’ compensation lawyer in Oak Creek, WI, in detail about how you got your broken arm on the job to find out if you might be eligible to receive workers’ comp. 

Thanks to Hickey & Turim Attorneys at Law for their insight into what you should do when you break your arm at work.