The first responsibility of a parent is to protect their child. However, as your child grows up, gains their independence and even gets a job, providing this protection becomes more of a challenge. While the injury your teen received on the job may have been outside of your control, the process of ensuring that your child is treated fairly is a goal you can work hard to achieve. If your teenager was hurt on the job, this is what you should do now.
Demand Medical Care
When a person is injured on the job, the most important goal is to ensure that the worker's health is protected. Make sure you keep this in mind. If your child comes home and tells you that they were hurt while working, make it a priority to take them directly to a healthcare center for an examination. If your child has a long-term injury, immediate medical attention will help solidify their claim for workers' compensation.
Collect Information
Your child may not understand the gravity of the situation. So, it's your job to be the extra help they need. Sit down with your child and ask them to tell you everything they remember that led up to the accident, including exactly what they did after they were hurt. For example, did they notify a manager, and if so, what is the person's name. The more information you collect about the incident, the better.
Monitor Interactions
It's not uncommon for an employer to have a representative from the company or an agent from their insurance provider to reach out to an injured worker. If someone calls to talk with your teen, make sure you are monitoring their interaction. People may look at the age of our child and look at the situation as an opportunity to take advantage of their lack of knowledge. The person may ask unfair questions to trick your child.
Hire an Attorney
As a parent, you know more about workers' compensation than your child, but an attorney likely has even more knowledge. To ensure your child's rights are safeguarded you should consider hiring an attorney as soon as possible. The attorney will take over every aspect of the case so that your child can focus on recovery.
Workers' compensation claims are tricky. But for a child who is totally unfamiliar with the process, the idea may seem overwhelming. As a parent, you can stand in to safeguard your child. For more information, contact your local workers' compensation lawyer.
