The Most Common Types of Work Injuries and Why You Should Seek Treatment

No matter your job, a work injury can happen – a slip and fall can occur in a fast-food restaurant or school. Injuries range from mild to severe and may end up leading to long-term complications and even disability.

If you suffer a work injury, seeking treatment is essential, no matter how mild. At Internal Medicine of Greater New Haven, our team of nine specialists offers Worker's Compensation treatments, preventive care, and physical exams after an injury.

Prevalent work injuries

Most people spend more time at work than at home over a year. Work is your second home, where anything can happen if you're not careful.

Some jobs require a lot of physical exertion, walking, or repetitive movements, all of which can lead to injuries. If you work in a place with wet floors, you're at risk for other injuries, including falls. Other types of injuries people get at work include the following:

• Slips
• Trips
• Musculoskeletal injuries
• Vehicle accidents
• Concussions
• Overuse injuries
• Chemical exposures

Different types of jobs pose various risks and potential injuries. Although accidents may still cause injuries, it is important to follow your employer's safety guidelines.

Not all work injuries are serious, but they can cause time off work and lost wages. It's necessary to know what to do after an injury to ensure you get the proper treatment and benefits

What to do after an injury

After a work injury, it's essential to take several steps to seek treatment and fill out paperwork for the employer. Even if it's a minor injury, reporting the incident and getting treatment is vital to avoid wage loss and unnecessary time off.

Go immediately to your supervisor after a work injury to ensure you get the proper care, and follow these steps:

Report the injury

Reporting the injury as soon as it happens is the most crucial aspect of getting hurt at work. Most employers have a strict treatment timeline to get worker's compensation benefits. Even if the injury seems minor, report it to your supervisor immediately and take the following steps in care.

Seek medical care

Getting medical care as soon as possible after a work injury is essential, even if that means going to an urgent care or emergency room. Fast care and treatment minimize injury complications and ensure you get what you need to verify your worker's comp claim.

Initiate a worker's comp claim

After you report the injury, your employer should give you paperwork to fill out for Worker's Compensation benefits. You must supply information about the injury, when it happened, and what you were doing.

The sooner you initiate the claim, the quicker you can get the compensation and other benefits you deserve while receiving treatment for the injury.

Why seeking treatment is important

It's crucial to seek medical treatment after a work injury for many reasons, including prompt access to care. Medical treatment is the most important step after a work injury to initiate care and avoid complications.

Protecting your health and wellness is another reason medical care is essential after a work injury. Treatment allows us to ensure you get the proper treatment to find hidden injuries and prevent the issue from worsening.

Professional treatment lets you get the ball rolling on a worker's compensation claim to protect your job and wages. We record the injury at your appointment, supporting the claim with our findings. This can prevent timely Worker's Compensation claim denials, which could occur without treatment.

Treatment also allows you to get compensation for any out-of-pocket expenses that may arise during the process. Delaying treatment may slow the benefit process and result in a worsening of the injury.

To make an appointment for a work injury or worker's compensation physical, call one of our Connecticut offices or request a consultation on the website.