Did you know the average American switches jobs about every 4 years? Career changes happen even more often in the younger generation. One reason why employees swap jobs, though, is due to personal injuries.
Has an employee accident left you with no choice but to lose an employee? As an HR professional or management (human resources), you need to understand what will happen if an employee wants to seek out a personal injury claim.
First, the employee may seek out a personal injury vocational evaluation. From there, they could seek out a personal injury earning capacity claim.
That’s a lot to take in, but we’ll unpack it all below. Read on to learn more about how to cope with a personal injury that might lead to an employee claim.
1. Document the Workplace Accident
Immediately after the workplace accident, you might not realize the gravity of the situation. In fact, the employee might attempt to downplay any injury or they may not understand how it could impact their future, yet.
Regardless, you need to understand your employee’s legal rights.
Often, personal injury accidents lead to significant losses. As an HR professional, you need to make an official report with details about what happened.
Human resources must also ensure that reasonable steps are taken to secure the scene. This protects employees, customers, and your business from further liability.
2. Get an Expert Vocational Evaluation
If an employee sustains serious injuries, then it’s time to get an evaluation. For this step, you’ll want to bring in vocational experts to help.
Vocational experts will need to consider a multitude of factors and how they’ll impact your employee’s vocation. They’ll need to assess their physical and cognitive ability to work. This process is lengthy and in-depth.
Once put into a digestible format by an expert, this vocational evaluation will prove invaluable. It will show how the employee’s earning capacity has changed.
The vocational expert will also help you create a safer work environment moving forward.
Your next step in the process should be contacting or hiring a business personal injury lawyer who can help. A qualified injury attorney will look over your evaluation and take on your case from there.
They’ll help you understand your legal rights and options. They’ll also help defend your business.
If an employee seeks out a personal injury claim, your business lawyer will help you file paperwork, negotiate, and more.
Navigating a Personal Injury Vocational Evaluation and Claim
Getting justice is far easier in concept than in reality.
This is never more true than when an employee suffers a significant personal injury at work. Getting your employee a personal injury vocational evaluation is only one step of the process.
You’ll need to do a lot to protect your business as an HR representative.
You don’t have to do this alone. Instead, you can work with our vocational experts at Solutions Northwest Inc. We have extensive experience helping HR professionals and businesses in situations like yours.
Contact us today to receive the evaluation your client needs!
At Solutions Northwest Inc., we can help you find a vocational expert or give you general vocational consulting. Our vocational experts are involved in personal injury, workers’ compensation, and family law.
If you need our guidance, our legal experts are ready to guide you through the process.
Contact us today to make an appointment.
Subscribe to our blog for more work related tips from Solutions Northwest, Inc., experts available in: Seattle, WA, Tacoma, WA, Olympia, WA, Vancouver, WA, Kent, WA Renton, WA, Beaverton, WA.
Contact the Vocational Consultants at Solutions Northwest Inc. Below:
Multiple Locations
Corporate Office: 120 State Ave. NE #397
Olympia, WA 98501
Business Hours: 8am-5pm M-F
Corporate FAX: 360-866-4773
Email: Info@solutionsnw.com