Getting a concussion at work is a painful and frustrating experience. However, you can lessen the physical and financial pain by handling it properly.
Brain injuries are among the most severe workplace damages you can suffer. The reason is that they not only cause pain and limitations, but they can affect personality and mental health too. If you ever get a concussion at work, you’ll want to handle the situation correctly. Here’s what to do.
What is a Concussion?
Concussions are a subset of traumatic brain injuries, which describe the medical consequences of excessive impact to the head. The most common symptoms are headache, confusion, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue, but there are many more that could affect you.
Causes
The primary cause of concussions is an impact to the head. In the context of workplace injuries, that can be caused by slipping, falling objects, car accidents, moving machinery, and any other activity that exposes your head to risk.
Avoidance Tips
There are two excellent methods for preventing concussions. The first is changing your behavior to keep your head out of dangerous situations. You can do so by always watching where you walk and being aware of your surroundings. The second is wearing a hard hat, which is required or encouraged in many work environments.
How to Deal With a Workplace Concussion
The following tasks are the basic steps you should take after a workplace concussion.
Report Your Injury Immediately – If you notice concussion symptoms, don’t try to wait it out. Instead, talk to your employer right away and tell them you are injured. Even if you end up not having a concussion, there will be no consequences for being prudent about reporting.
See a Doctor – You will see a doctor for three reasons. They include deciding if you have a concussion or not, giving you a treatment plan, and telling you if you should miss work as part of the recovery process.
Follow Health Guidelines – The next critical step you must take is following the doctor’s recommendations. If you don’t, you will not only negatively impact your health, but your future workers’ compensation case will also suffer.
Respect Your Limitations – Don’t try to get your life back right away after a concussion. Doing so will put you at risk of getting injured again, which will further frustrate you and may lead to long-term consequences. Instead, rest up and recover only as fast as your doctor thinks you should.
Talk to a Lawyer – Depending on the severity of your concussion, you may miss a significant amount of work. Additionally, you could accrue medical bills and other expenses. The best way to deal with these issues is to discuss your legal options with a specialized workers’ compensation attorney.
Getting a concussion at work is a painful and frustrating experience. That being said, you can lessen the physical and financial pain by managing it properly. The best way to do so is following the best practices mentioned in this article.