5 Essential Steps To Take After a Slip-and-Fall Accident
If you have a slip-and-fall accident, there are five steps you should take immediately afterward, no matter where you fall. Here’s what you need to know.
Every year, approximately 2.8 million American workers in private industry are injured on the job. Fortunately, around 94% of the American workforce is covered by workers’ compensation. This insurance is designed to protect your medical and rehabilitation costs if you suffer a work-related injury.
You might think that work-related injuries occur in physically demanding careers. While you can undoubtedly hurt yourself while moving a heavy object or on a construction site, you can just as easily slip and fall in an office or develop repetitive strain from working on a keyboard all day.
Here at Coastal Pain Medicine in Pompano Beach, Florida, our gifted physician Patrick T. Brennan, DO, puts your needs first. While there are certainly plenty of forms and paperwork to complete as part of a workers’ compensation claim, we focus on delivering the medical treatment and rehabilitation you need so you can return to work quickly and safely.
Workers’ comp protects your health and finances by covering the cost of medical treatment needed for a work-related injury or illness. In addition to medical and rehabilitation expenses, workers’ compensation could also include lost wage coverage, disability payments, and vocational rehabilitation.
Every case is unique. We see our job of helping you get better by providing state-of-the-art care, as well as navigating the necessary paperwork for your claim.
The claim process can be intimidating. There are lots of forms and steps to complete to ensure you get the coverage you need. Here in Florida, the workers’ compensation program operates on a no-fault basis. This means you’re covered and don’t need to prove that your employer was negligent or careless about employee safety.
Dr. Brennan and our team are seasoned experts in diagnosing, documenting, and treating work-related injuries. Our exclusive claims department helps handle the claim process and makes sure you have the information and advice you need to manage your case correctly until you can return to your duties.
For decades, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has worked to improve workplace safety. The incidence of work-related injury and illness has plummeted from 10.9 claims per 100 workers in 1972 to just 2.8 claims per 100 workers in 2017.
While these statistics are remarkable, accidents still happen in the workplace, and overuse injuries continue to be a risk for people in a wide variety of careers, including nurses, factory workers, police officers, and truck drivers.
Common acute injuries include slip-and-fall accidents or back injuries caused by lifting something heavy. Employees who use their hands or arms to perform repetitive tasks are also at risk of developing overuse or strain injuries.
Dr. Brennan and our team here at Coast Pain Medicine offer a multidisciplinary approach to treating and rehabilitating work-related injuries. Whenever possible, we use noninvasive, conservative methods to help you recover.
Depending on your needs, we might recommend acupuncture, medication, physical therapy, steroid injections, or regenerative medicine. We also provide more invasive treatments such as spinal cord stimulators when a conservative approach doesn’t relieve your issue.
Here in Florida, you have the right to choose your medical provider for workers’ compensation assessment and care. Additionally, after your claim is approved, you can receive all of the medical and rehabilitative treatments you need to recover and manage any related pain.
If you’ve been injured at work, make sure to follow the appropriate reporting protocols, and then call our office or make an appointment online for expert medical care.
