When it comes to Workers’ Compensation claims, it is often common for the victim to only document the most severe injury that occurs from an accident. The victim is so concerned with the broken bone or or injured back, that they might forget to document the cuts and scrapes on their arms, too. It is vital to your injury case that you document all of the injuries that occur. Undocumented injuries can often be dismissed or thrown away in court. Making sure that all injuries of an accident are recorded will help build your case. It can be very difficult to convince an insurance company that an injury was related if there was nothing in the injury report to link it to.
Every Injury Counts
Whether you fall off of a ladder or slip and fall, injuries are often a lot more widespread than just the spot that hurts the most. You may hit your back on the way down, but did you hurt your head? Did your elbow smack against the ground too? When filling out an injury report or other official documents, it is important to document each point of impact, and the damage that is caused to them. Swelling, bruising, cuts, and scrapes should all be documented. If an area is impacted or scraped, but there is no visible damage or pain, you should still take note of it, in the event of internal damage or feelings of injury that appear later.
Informing Your Physician
Your injury should be documented with your doctor, as well as with your employers. It is a good idea to go over the events of the injury, and the pain from it with your physician. They will not only formulate their own report, but it will make it easier for them to review your case for further treatment. Documenting your injuries and pain with your doctor can be an important step for building your Worker’s Compensation case.
Why is This Important?
For the example of falling down a ladder; assume that you bumped your elbow on the floor too. Your injury report does not include that you hit your elbow coming down. 2 weeks later, your physician discovers a fracture in your elbow. How can you prove that that was from the fall? While the elbow impact was not in your report, it may be possible for it to be a part of your case. But by documenting every aspect of the injury when it happens, it will be more likely to link the injury to the accident.
For over 25 years, we have been assisting people in the New York/New Jersey area with injury cases of all shapes and sizes; from Auto Accidents to Dog Bites. D’Agostino & Associates, P.C., and its affiliates do not provide legal advice by articles. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for legal advice. Call 1-888-24-LAW-24 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys. Bite Back with D’Agostino & Associates, P.C.
