Unfortunately, it's impossible to completely eliminate the risk of employee injury at your workplace. This is why it's so important to know what to do if an employee does injure themselves on your business's premises. Here are some of the steps you should take to handle the situation.
Immediately after an accident occurs, assess the employee's injuries and get them the medical attention they need. Even if the employee assures you that they are fine, you should still get them checked out by a medical professional to ensure that they don't have any latent injuries. Even after your employee is in the care of a doctor, stay updated on their status and recovery progress.
After you've gotten your employee the help that they need, you should inspect the scene of the accident. Take photos of the scene to accurately capture the conditions under which the incident took place, and secure statements from the injured employee and witnesses to get a clear understanding of what happened. This evidence can help you with your worker's compensation insurance claim. Even if the employee did not sustain major injuries as a result of the accident, investigating the circumstances can help you prevent a similar incident from happening in the future.
Finally, you need to file a worker's compensation insurance claim. Once you contact your insurance provider, your agent should be able to guide you through the entire process. It's important that you do not forgo this step in favor of paying the employee's medical fees personally. Because an employee's injuries can turn out to be more extensive than you originally thought, and the employee can decide to sue, it's much safer for your employee and your business if you simply secure coverage through the official claims process. This is what you need to do if one of your employees is injured while on the job.
Do you need further advice or assistance with your small business's insurance needs? If so, contact the experts at John E. Peakes Insurance Agency today.
