Whether you are a nurse, trucker, teacher or construction worker, suffering an injury on the job is a serious matter. It could be as minor as a sprain or bruise, but no matter how small it seems, you should report it and seek treatment. This is especially true because you are not the only person affected by your injury. Often, your family will also experience the repercussions of an injury that occurs at work.
Consider the following ways in which this is true. In the meantime, follow your employers’ directions for seeking care and filing a claim with their workers’ compensation insurer. A workers’ comp claim can help alleviate some of the ways that an injury affects both you and your family, too.
Loss of income
If your injury is severe enough that it necessitates time away from work, you are facing a potential loss of income, and this can be devastating. According to the Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation, however, workers’ comp can include compensation for lost wages. If you are your family’s primary breadwinner, this takes pressure off other family members to work more to compensate for lost income.
Accumulating bills
The accumulation of bills that often results from a workplace injury may also affect your family. If you have to pay out-of-pocket for some of these expenses, you might see the bills piling up while you are unable to work. This puts your entire family under pressure, and sometimes workers’ comp fails to cover all medical expenses. In such cases, additional legal recourse may be necessary.
Stress of not working
While you are taking time off to recover from your injury, it can be difficult to find yourself at home when you are used to the routine of working. It can be stressful for your family, too, to have their routine shifted. It is important to maintain a positive perspective during your recovery and advocate for yourself at every step. This will benefit both you and your family.
