When you are at work and feel something pull within your body, you need to report the incident right away no matter how minor you think it may be. Often with sprains and strains, it can be hard to tell at first how serious the injury is.
As a result, workers tend to overlook such injuries for several reasons. First, many workers dismiss seemingly small injuries because they don’t want to admit they have been hurt to other people. The second reason is because some workers just don’t realize they have suffered an injury since pain often gets worse as time goes on. Thirdly, some workers are afraid to ‘rock the boat’, failing to report accidents out of fear of losing their job.
When it comes to sprains and strains on the job, it is vital that you report any incident where you feel something has been injured even if you think the injury will not turn worse. The reality is that with sprains and strains it may not become apparent that real damage has been done until hours or days later.
If your initial injury goes unreported and then evolves into something more serious requiring medical attention, you may jeopardize your potential workers compensation claim. Not reporting an incident can lead to costly medical expenses that you get no help paying.
Ignoring even minor injuries on the job can result in lost wages, lost time, and potentially a denied workers compensation claim. It is in your best interest to understand and then follow the protocol for reporting injuries and incidents that occur at work. Even if you think you suffered ‘just a sprain’, that injury could result in medical treatment and extensive rehabilitation. Both costly and time-consuming activities required to get back to your healthy self.
