Should I Go Back to Work After a Car Accident?
Being involved in a car accident releases adrenaline into the system, which can make people feel like they are fine, even if they injured. It is best to wait at least three days to let the adrenaline entirely leave your system and make sure you are not injured anywhere.
If you have been recently injured in a car accident, it’s likely that you have many racing thoughts, and you surely feel overwhelmed. You may be worried about time away from work, how you’re going to handle the upcoming sea of medical bills, and if you’ll ever be able to return to your pre-accident lifestyle. In addition, you will likely not be able to tell the severity of your injuries until weeks after your accident.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, your doctor’s recommendations, and the treatment plan in place, you may have to take additional time away from work to recover. Returning to work before you are properly healed will put you at a greater risk of re-injuring yourself or prolonging your recovery. The good news is that there are steps to take to help ensure you are ready to return to work after your accident.
Document Evidence of ALL of Your Symptoms and Complications
The first step in any accident should always be to seek medical assistance. Document your symptoms, both physically and mentally. This information will be valuable for not only your personal injury case, but it will also give your doctor a good understanding of your injuries—allowing for them to put the best possible recovery plan in place.
Continue documenting the feelings you’re experiencing throughout your recovery process. This will give your doctor a better understanding of how your injuries are healing, and they can help you decide on when it’s best for you to return to work. Documenting your feelings will also help you track any complications that arise, allowing your doctor to make changes to your recovery plan.
Ask for an Accurate Doctor’s Note for Your Return Showing Limitations
The note you receive from your doctor clearing you to return to work will be invaluable in helping you return to work in the safest way possible. This note will not only provide a proper excuse for your time away, but it will also give your employer an understanding of what physical duties of the job you can or cannot do.
Let’s say you’re a roofer who routinely carries around 30+ pounds of equipment while on the clock. The accident caused damage to your lower back, and your doctor’s recommendation is for you not to lift anything above 15 pounds until fully healed. Now that your employer knows of your limitations, they can adjust your workload accordingly to allow you to recover properly.
Follow Up With Your Doctor’s Appointments
After you have seen a doctor and been given directions for your treatment plan, it’s crucial for your recovery to follow this plan. This includes attending all of your follow-up appointments.
By missing your appointments, you are causing yourself harm and causing your recovery to take longer than it should. These appointments are in place so that your doctor can check on your recovery process, change the plan should any complications arise, and ensure that you are on the right path to returning to your pre-accident lifestyle.
Missing these appointments will not only harm your chances at recovery, but they may also negatively impact your personal injury case. Insurance companies keep in close contact with doctors, and your doctor will have to inform them of your missed appointments, which can harm the amount of compensation you receive.
Don’t Force Your Return
Every accident is different. Meaning that there is no set amount of time in which you will be ready to return to work. We understand that you may be concerned about your position being filled while you are away, or that your time away from work is becoming too large of a financial burden. We also understand that because of these worries, you may be trying to return to work ASAP. However, it’s imperative for your future and your recovery to not rush your return.
Understand the Steps to Take If You Re-Injure Yourself
Even if you’ve taken all of the correct steps to ensure that you are ready to return to work, problems may still arise. You could re-injure yourself, or your condition could flare up again without any notice.
“Now what?” You ask yourself.
If you find yourself in this situation, you want to be sure to notify your employer of your injuries and schedule a doctor’s appointment as soon as you can.
If your injuries end up being more debilitating than expected, rendering you unable to return to your previous position, be sure to speak with your employer immediately. They may be able to fill you into another position in the meantime in order to allow you to heal fully.
In addition to speaking with your employer, you will want to inform your doctor of your pain so that they can re-evaluate your injuries and determine if you are safe to work. It is at this time that you may have to take additional time away from work in order to heal fully.
Contact our Tampa Car Accident Attorney Today
Car accidents happen when we least expect them to, and the damage they cause can last a lifetime. All too often, victims of car accidents don’t take the time away from work they need to heal properly, which can result in additional injuries and a prolonged recovery period.
If you’ve been injured in an accident due to no fault of your own, our team here at Harmon Parker can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. For countless years, our team of Tampa car accident lawyers has been helping our clients pursue the maximum possible compensation available to them.
Call us today (813) 452-4144 or contact us online to set up your free case evaluation.
