Even the best personal protective equipment and signage might not be able to protect some work-related injuries. It is only fair and legally required that in case you are injured in your workplace, your employer should compensate you. The settlement will significantly ease your life after an accident and help you meet the medical and other care expenses related to your injury. Getting compensated after an injury in your workplace is however not an easy feat.
Employers and insurers will employ all tactics in Salt Lake City courts to deny or reduce your settlement. One of the most common tactics is claiming that your injury is self-inflicted or was pre-existing and hence has nothing to do with the workplace. You will need the help of a work injury lawyer from a firm like Day Shell & Liljenquist, L.C. to assist you.
Here are some of the things you can use to strengthen your claim and get fair compensation:
Witness Testimonies
If there was anyone present during your accident, you could have them serve as your witnesses in court. Though these are very efficient and can sway the jury in your favor, getting a witness willing to testify against his/her employer is unfortunately not easy. As such, your attorney can get the court to guarantee that the employee will not suffer any repercussion for his/her testimony. Other than the witnesses to your accident, you can also get people who knew you before the accident to testify that you had no pre-existing injury.
Security Footage
Pictures, more so moving ones, will be worth a thousand words in your case. Most workplaces now have CCTV cameras to record various elements. You can use the security footage as evidence of the happenings of the day of your accident. Most employers might try to withhold or get rid of the footage, but you can get a court to order its production and submission in court.
Doctor’s Notes and Prescriptions
Getting medical attention, irrespective of the magnitude of your injury is essential. If possible, you can get your doctor to testify in your case. If not, you can use the doctor’s notes and prescriptions to argue your case in court. You can additionally get a written report from your doctor detailing the specifics of your injury and any future requirements.
Written Employer Notification
This is a key piece of evidence in work-related injuries. When injured in your workplace you should inform your employer within the timeframe stipulated by your state. The timeline is 15-90 days in most states. Your employer notification can be written or verbal, but a written one is the best choice since it forms part of your evidence. Without evidence that you notified your employer, your case might be weakened or thrown out altogether.
Proving that your injury is work-related with no evidence is a hard feat more so if it is a long-standing one. The above evidence categories will go a long way in cementing your claim and ensuring you get what you are rightly owed. With the best lawyer and fool-proof evidence, the settlement from your accident will be worth your efforts.