If you’re a dentist and you are injured while you are working you may be able to receive workers’ compensation that will cover your medical bills, lost wages for time that you cannot work, and other expenses that are related to your injury. Dentists have a high risk of being injured on the job and if you do get injured while you are work you should file a workers’ compensation claim so that all of your expenses will be covered, including any time that you need to take off to recuperate from your injury. Common Injuries That Can Happen To Dentists Anyone working in a medical field faces the risk of injury due to the environment that they’re working in. You could cut yourself on the sharp tools that dentists need to do their work. If you cut yourself and need stitches you may be unable to work for a long time while that cut heals. If the cut is serious enough you may need to switch professions which would require extensive retraining. You could become sick from improperly sterilized equipment or faulty equipment that exposes you to pathogens or germs. Long term illness could mean that you are unable to work for weeks or even months. Workers’ compensation can cover lost wages for that time that you are not able to work. You could slip and fall on wet floors and hurt your back which could mean that you need therapy or even surgery that will require physical therapy and a long time off of work to heal. Workers’ compensation could cover all of your medical bills and your physical therapy costs. You could end up with a repetitive stress injury from your work if you don’t have the breaks you need or the right equipment to do your job and that can mean physical therapy or even permanent injury to your hands or wrists. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a very common injury that happens to dentists. Workers’ compensation can ease the financial burden of dealing with a repetitive stress injury. What To Do If You Are Hurt On The Job If you do get injured while you are working as a dentist the first thing that you should do is to make sure that you get care immediately if you have a serious cut or other injury that needs immediate care. But if your injury doesn’t require immediate care, like intervention to stop bleeding, the first thing that you should do is tell your supervisor or the practice manager about the injury. Fill out an incident report and describe how the injury occurred in detail. Make sure that you get a copy of that injury report. Then talk to an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. How A Workers Compensation Attorney Can Help You An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you navigate the often confusing process of filing for workers’ compensation. With the guidance of an experienced workers’ comp attorney you may be able to get benefits that will pay for your medical expenses, pay you for your lost wages, and cover any expenses related to your injury. Additional Resources Why Should I Get a Workers’ Compensation Attorney? Can I Be Terminated If I File for Workers’ Compensation?
