Unfortunately, injuries at work in the greater Des Moines area happen and sometimes go unnoticed.
There may not be an immediate injury, but later down the road, you might develop issues that hinder your working ability. When an injury occurs during working hours, it should be dealt with on time, although, sometimes, there can be a miscommunication between the employee or employer which can cause problems. When this happens, a work comp attorney may need to step to reporting a work injury.
When you experience a work injury in Des Moines, Urbandale, Waukee, or Clive, we suggest taking the following steps.
1. Notify Your Employer
It is critical that you notify your employer of your injury. Even if you don’t suspect a significant injury, it is still best to let your employer know of an injury. Some of the most common injuries that don’t get notified are rolled ankles, sprained wrists, small cuts, and minor head injuries.
Generally, when notifying your employer, you will need to provide them the following information:
- Type of injury and affected areas of the body
- Date, time, and location of injury
- Parties involved in the accident
- How the accident occurred
- Any medical treatment you have received
When you’ve been injured in a work setting in Iowa, notice must be given within 90 days after the “occurrence of the injury,” a date which can sometimes be difficult to determine (such as for chronic conditions that develop gradually). This is when a doctors note comes in handy. If 90 days has gone by since an injury, your claim can be denied if the workers’ comp insurer determines that you failed to give timely notice, so notify your employer as soon as possible if you suffer an injury at work or suspect you may have a work-related condition.
2. Get Immediate Medical Attention
Although you might be able to shrug off a work-related injury and continue doing things normally, it is still best to get an injury reviewed by a doctor. The following list is some of the most common work injuries that people experience in central Iowa.
- Slips, trips and falls
- Muscle strains and tears
- Broken bones
- Being hit by falling objects
- Repetitive strain injury
- Crashes and collisions
- Cuts and lacerations
- Inhaling toxic fumes
- Exposure to loud noise
There could be something more serious that you just don’t know yet. Keep in mind, if you are injured on the job, your employer gets to choose the doctor that you see for your injury. If you go to your own doctor without notifying your employer, the workers’ compensation insurance company may not have to pay for that doctor’s visit.
3. Contact a workers’ compensation attorney in Des Moines
If things aren’t moving at a rate that you’d like, or you feel like you have been neglected with proper benefits, or you didn’t get the correct care which may result in a recovery that is less than sufficient then it’s time to contact a work comp attorney. Attorney Nicholas Platt has been practicing law in Des Moines for many years and has specific expertise in workers’ compensation claims. If you haven’t received the proper care or benefits, call our office today at 515-346-6659 or complete our contact form on our website. We will meet with you anytime for a free consultation regarding reporting your work injury in Des Moines and Urbandale IA.