If you work in a dangerous line of work, you know how stressful it can be just to show up to work every day. If you are injured on the job, there are protocols that you must follow. If you do not follow the proper steps after an injury, you may have difficulty claiming the compensation that you deserve.

Notify Your Manager or Supervisor

Immediately after an injury, your priority should be seeking medical care. Alert your immediate manager or supervisor that you have been hurt so that he or she can get medical assistance to you. You will likely be taken to a hospital for treatment or evaluation. Be sure that you comply with any testing that is needed to treat your injury.

Submit a Report to Human Resources

Once your immediate medical needs are taken care of, you need to alert your human resources manager of the situation if your supervisor has not already. This way, he or she can write a report about the incident. This will be indispensable if your workers’ compensation claim is ever contested in court. Make sure that you ask for a copy of the report so that you can verify that all information is correct.

Know Your Rights

If your employer is not willing to give you the workers’ compensation that you deserve, you must fight for your rights. You can contact an attorney who specializes in Iowa workers compensation who can help you navigate this process. His or her advice can be a valuable asset to you when you are trying to get compensation to cover loss of work and wages.

Work accidents can be truly scary occurrences, so make sure that you know what to do ahead of time. This way, you will be prepared for whatever comes your way.