Industrial labor can be rewarding, yet difficult. The amount of physical labor required for most industry jobs can be exhausting, and even lead to unfortunate accidents that leave workers injured and in need of help. If you were recently injured severely while at work, then there are a few steps you can take towards easing your burden. Continue below to learn more about how United Steelworkers aims to protect workers like you, and how a workers’ compensation claim could help you to cover the medical costs from your injury. United Steelworkers USW is the largest labor union for industrial workers in all of North America. It supports almost 900,000 members in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, and has recently begun supporting laborers in the UK and Ireland as part of a recent international union entity. Its goal is to ensure the health, safety, and fairness of the work environment for employees in all industrial work. USW members work in all kinds of industrial fields. Members work in metalworking and metallurgy, chemicals, glass and rubber manufacturing, tires and transportation, heavy-duty equipment building, container industries, pharmaceuticals, and health care. Potential Injuries With jobs like these, many USW members are exposed to various dangers every day. However, that doesn’t mean it is their job to cover expenses related to work injuries. Many employers are required to cover work-related injuries. Examples include: burns or cuts from metalworking and manufacturing broken bones or sprains from accidents caused by heavy machinery head injuries caused by falling products or equipment long-term injuries (back problems, neck problems, wrist/knee injuries) due to repetitive work or poor work conditions Any one of these injuries and many more may qualify for compensation by contacting your employer after your injury. What to Do After Your Injury Contacting your employer is not as simple as giving them a call and letting them know what happened. To make your claim, you should prepare as much evidence as possible regarding the accident, your injuries, and why you are asking for compensation. Without this evidence, it would be easy for your employer to not understand the full story, or say that they are not responsible for covering costs. Write down everything you know about the accident. Whether it was long-term or a sudden event, tell your employer everything you know. If there were any witnesses at the time of the accident, ask them to give statements for your claim as well. Finally, include as much physical evidence from the accident and your injuries as well, including medical bills, scans, a doctor’s diagnosis, and photos of the accident site. After all of this is prepared, speak with USW to discuss how to move forward with your claim — based on their relationship with your employer, these steps may vary. Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Even with the help of a union like USW, it may be difficult or confusing to maneuver through the workers’ comp process. It is important to remember that, while USW does protect you and your rights, they are not legal professionals who are experts in the workers’ compensation field. For expertise like that, it may be wise to higher a workers’ comp attorney. Attorneys can write a strong claim, negotiate with your employer, and be sure that you get the best compensation you deserve for your work injury. Additional Resources Hurt Working for McKenna Metal LLC Landmark Pacific Disclaimer: The content of this article is purely informative and should not be construed as official legal advice. If you file a claim against your employer or another party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.*
