Your workplace should be a safe place, but you never know when a fire might happen. Though less common, explosions are something that can happen at any time in virtually any workplace that has a gas line. Employees injured in any kind of workplace accident, including fire and explosions, can file a workers’ compensation claim but there are steps that must be taken before a claim is filed. Workplace fires happen more than you think. From foil-wrapped pizza in the microwave to overheated printers, anything can happen in any kind of workplace, even offices. Employees who are injured rushing to help extinguish the fire, or those who get hurt trying to evacuate, could file a claim for workers’ comp. Common Injuries That Occur Because of Fire and Explosions Sometimes there are fires in the workplace that don’t evolve into full blown fires but could still cause hazardous burns. You might not realize that there is a meltdown happening inside the printer until you touch it, burning your fingers. You open the door to the microwave only to have it “explode” because someone was cooking lunch with a stainless steel spoon still in the bowl. When it comes to fires and explosions in the workplace, they aren’t always as big as you might imagine but that doesn’t mean they don’t cause injuries. What To Do If You Have Been Hurt In A Fire or Explosion If you have suffered an injury as a result of a fire or explosion in the workplace, then you need to report it to your supervisor or to your company’s human resources department. If you don’t report it, you will not be able to file a workers’ comp claim. No matter how small the injury might seem, you should have it evaluated by a doctor so that there is a report on file. Your doctor will be able to provide a treatment plan that describes any limitations you have as a result of the injury, and that will help support your claim. You need to talk with anyone who witnessed the accident take place. Get their statements and find out what they saw. Take pictures of the accident scene, and obtain any security camera footage that might be available. The more evidence you can provide, the stronger your workers’ comp claim will be. Get A Free Case Evaluation Today Once you have reported your injury to your supervisor, you need to start working on your workers’ comp claim. The process of submitting a claim can be stressful and intimidating, especially if you are trying to recover from your injury. If you need help filing your claim, you should consider hiring a workers’ comp attorney. Working with a workers’ comp attorney can make the claim process much easier. Not only do you benefit from having someone advocating on your behalf, but you also have someone who can help you gather evidence, talk with insurance companies and human resources, and he or she will also be able to help manage your claim. Though working with a workers’ comp attorney does not guarantee that your claim will be approved, it will greatly increase your chances for success. And since many workers’ comp attorneys work on a contingency basis, you will not have to pay any fees upfront and you will only pay if you win your claim. To find out how a workers’ comp attorney might be able to help you, fill out a free case evaluation. Additional Resources Burns and Workers Compensation Damages In A Workers Compensation Claim
