Physical injuries can be downright devastating, affecting your ability to move, work, and live your life normally. If you’re rendered unable to work, you might lose your primary source of income, and it’s easy to spiral into a depression from there.

What exactly are you supposed to do if you suffer an injury that renders you unable to work?

Get Immediate Medical Attention

Regardless of how you sustain this injury, and regardless of how severe your injury is, it’s important for you to get immediate medical attention. Depending on the context, it may be appropriate to call an ambulance or go directly to the hospital. In some situations, it’s fine to make a prompt appointment or go to urgent care.

In any case, you need to have a paper trail showing that you took appropriate action for your injury, or else you may not be able to recover the full extent of the damages you suffered.

File an Official Report

If you suffered an injury in the workplace, or because of your official responsibilities, you need to file an official report with your employer right away. Make sure the details of this report are as accurate as possible, to the best of your knowledge, and save a copy of the report for yourself. This is going to serve as an official record of events, and it may be indispensable in helping you get the benefits that you need.

Talk to a Lawyer

Next, you should talk to a lawyer as soon as possible. A lawyer can help you with matters like filing a personal injury lawsuit, getting disability benefits, and negotiating with workers’ comp representatives. They’ll help you understand the full scope of your situation, as well as the legal remedies available to you, and they’ll represent you if you choose to take legal action.

Trust your lawyer as a professional advisor, give them as much honest information as you can, and think through your available strategies carefully.

Gather Evidence

As soon as possible after the accident, you should focus on gathering evidence related to it. If you assert a negligence claim, or if you want to maximize the benefits you can receive through workers’ comp, it’s important that you’re able to illustrate the full occurrence. Take photos and videos if you can, take witness statements if possible, and see if you can secure any other forms of evidence to help build your case.

Save Your Receipts

If you want to win compensatory damages, you’ll need to prove their existence. That means you’ll also need to save receipts associated with any damages you’ve incurred because of this accident. For example, you should save all of your medical receipts and receipts for any purchases you made because of your injury.

Follow the Medical Advice You Receive

Always make sure you follow the medical advice you receive. You have an obligation to mitigate damages by taking proper medical care of yourself.

Communicate Openly With Your Employer

You should also communicate openly with your employer. Make sure they understand the scope of your injury, your path to recovery, and your plan to return to work, if you have one. Your lawyer can help you navigate this terrain, but no matter what, you should work to keep an open dialogue with your employer.

Take Care of Yourself

You also need to proactively take care of yourself, as being out of work due to an injury can be debilitating otherwise.

·       Remain patient. Try your best to remain patient. It could take a long time for you to explore all your legal options, and even longer for you to resolve this claim. Try to take things one day at a time.

·       Find an alternative way to stay busy. If you’re unable to work in your previous capacity, consider taking on a different job or side gig. Failing that, consider taking on an interesting hobby so you can keep your mind and body occupied.

·       Socialize regularly. Socializing with others can relieve stress and help you feel better. Make sure you talk to family and friends regularly, and ask for help whenever you need it.

·       Exercise when you can. Physical exercise is enormously beneficial. To the extent that your medical providers allow, try to get at least some physical exercise every day.

·       Take advantage of the time. If you’re out of work, you’ll probably have some extra time on your hands. This isn’t a trade that most of us would make, but you can take advantage of the extra time you do have.

Being out of work due to an injury can be devastating. But if you’re willing to follow these strategies, and with a bit of patience, you can put yourself in a much better situation.