Published by Carabin Shaw – Corpus Christi Personal Injury & Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
First Steps After Being Injured at Work in Texas
If you’re injured at work, the first step you should always take is to get the medical attention you need to recover from the accident. Prompt medical care is critical, and it can be crucial in helping establish an injury claim for damages. Many of our clients worry about not being able to afford treatment — they may be uninsured or concerned about taking time off work. Over our many years of helping Texas workplace injury victims, we’ve built relationships with a large network of medical professionals who take a client’s personal financial situation into account. They will often treat you for no out-of-pocket cost, since your medical expenses will likely be compensated later by your employer or its insurance company. You can learn more about our Corpus Christi work injury attorneys here.
We can also explain how much of your lost wages and other damages may be reimbursable by your employer or its insurer. It’s very important that you don’t allow yourself to be pressured into a settlement from your employer, their insurer, or any liable third party in your case. Don’t agree to, sign, or accept any payment offer until you have consulted with an experienced work injury attorney. Those offers are not intended to benefit you — they’re meant to benefit and protect the ones offering them. In the distress and confusion following your injury, an offer may look good at first, but once accepted it becomes legally binding. In our society, settlements are encouraged because they save costly court time and resources. Once a settlement is reached, however, the law is rarely concerned with the fairness of the agreement. If you accept a settlement offer, you waive your right to sue for any further compensation you may be entitled to. You certainly don’t want to accept an offer without having it evaluated by an experienced work injury attorney, because accepting an unfair settlement is almost always a disaster for you, your finances, and your legal rights.
It’s also important to realize that your employer and its insurance company may use anything you say or do against you. Never write out a statement detailing how the accident occurred without first talking with a lawyer. You may be distraught after an injury, in pain, and wondering what your future holds. You aren’t in a position to think clearly, discuss settlement offers, or make statements about the accident. The only requests you should make are to get medical help and to speak with your lawyer, who will help you recover and seek justice.
By now, hopefully, you can see the importance of acting quickly to secure both an attorney and your rights. Evidence begins to fade or go missing almost immediately after a work accident. Weather may erase details from the scene, cleanup crews may unknowingly dispose of key evidence, damaged equipment may be removed, or witnesses may leave without giving any contact information. Crucial evidence needed to meet your burden of proof — and to establish your damages — can be quickly lost or even deliberately tampered with to avoid allegations of liability.
The sooner you enlist one of our non-subscriber work injury attorneys, the sooner we can get to the scene of your work accident and gather the evidence you’ll need for a strong claim. A strong body of evidence also helps convince defendants and their counsel that a favorable settlement would be better than a trial. But if you wait too long to hire an attorney, you may do irreparable damage to your chances of securing the compensation you deserve. Don’t jeopardize your case.
If you were hurt on the job in Corpus Christi or anywhere in the Coastal Bend, the team at Carabin Shaw is ready to protect your rights. Call us today at (210) 222-2288 for a free, confidential consultation.