Suppose you suffer an injury while you’re at work. In that case, your employers have a set of legal and ethical responsibilities to ensure your well-being and comply with workplace safety and workers’ compensation laws. It can be helpful to know what your employer’s responsibilities are before anything goes wrong, so read on to find out in this primer from a workplace injury lawyer in Houston, TX.
What Are Your Employer’s Responsibilities After a Workplace Injury?
Provide Immediate Medical Assistance
Your employer’s first responsibility after a workplace injury is to ensure that you receive immediate medical attention. This can range from providing first aid to arranging transportation to a healthcare facility if the injury is serious.Suppose you suffer an injury while you’re at work. In that case, your employers have a set of legal and ethical responsibilities to ensure your well-being and comply with workplace safety and workers’ compensation laws. It can be helpful to know what your employer’s responsibilities are before anything goes wrong, so read on to find out in this primer from a workplace injury lawyer in Houston, TX.
Report the Injury to Workers’ Compensation Insurance
In Texas, employers must report workplace injuries to their workers’ compensation insurance provider if the injury results in more than one day of lost work or requires medical treatment.
Provide Information on Workers’ Compensation
After a workplace injury, your employer must explain what your rights are and how to file a workers’ compensation claim. They must also make sure that you understand how to seek medical care under the workers’ compensation program and what benefits you may be entitled to, such as medical coverage and lost wage compensation.
Investigate the Incident
Your employer should investigate the circumstances of your workplace injury. This is important not only for insurance purposes but also for identifying potential safety hazards to prevent future incidents. In some cases, the employer may need to report the injury to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Provide Job Modifications or Accommodations
If you can return to work but require temporary or permanent accommodations so that you can do your job, employers are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to make these for you. This could include offering you lighter duties, reducing hours, or modifying a workspace to accommodate any physical limitations.
Prevent Retaliation
Finally, employers have the responsibility to make sure that you are not subject to retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim or reporting a workplace injury. They need to ensure there’s no wrongful termination, demotion, harassment, or anything similar.
Do You Need a Workplace Injury Lawyer in Houston TX?
If you’ve been in an accident at work and your employer has not followed these steps to help you, talk with a lawyer. Similarly, if you have suffered consequences at work as a result of being injured, then you may have a case for a discrimination claim. For more information, click here to find out how consulting with a specialist lawyer can help make sure that your rights are protected after a workplace injury.
Forewarned is forearmed, so don’t forget these points. You have the right to be safe in your place of work, and if you are injured there, your employer has responsibilities to you that they must fulfill.
