Unless you have been through the process before, it can be difficult to know what to do after a workplace injury. If you are injured at your job with the railroad, you may be able to receive compensation under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) for past and future wage loss as well as physical and mental suffering. Because you will only receive compensation if you can prove your injury was caused by your employer’s negligence, it is important you take several precautions after your accident, if you are physically able to do so.
Immediately after the accident, you should report the injury to your employer, complete an injury report form and seek medical attention. It is often in your best interest to be as thorough as possible when you are filling out the injury report form because this document will most likely be used when you seek compensation.
Following your initial medical treatment, you should make sure your union is notified that you were injured on the job. You should also consider getting an independent medical evaluation, which could protect you if your employer later claims that your usual doctor was biased in his or her diagnosis.
Throughout the entire process following your accident, you should keep copies of all documents related to your medical care and keep track of the time you miss from work due to the injury or related doctor appointments. You should also keep a report for yourself, like the one you filled out for your employer. It should include all the details you can remember about the accident, your injuries and people who may have witnessed the accident. You should also detail the impact the injury has had on your life.
Keep in mind that the railroad may try to blame you for your injury, so it can reduce or eliminate paying for damages. This is why after a workplace accident it is important that you do everything in your power to make sure you have a fair opportunity to receive compensation.
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