How The Self Employed Should Manage An Injury

Getting injured at work is one thing, but what if your work is actually a place of self employment? The rules are a little different in this scenario, but there are still ways you can manage it to minimize the trauma.

It’s a common misconception that those who are self employed and become injured while working cannot make a claim. There are many instances where a self employed individual can claim and get help. Let’s take a look at what you need to know:

Working Alongside Others

If you’re the kind of self employed person who is hired by a contracting company, you’ll likely work on their premises and use their tools and equipment. If it turns out that this workplace is unsafe or the equipment isn’t safe, then it will be the company's responsibility if something happens to you. If you work alongside other contractors, such as builders, plumbers, joiners, electricians, etc, and you are injured because of one of them, you can also claim.

If you do suffer an accident caused by another, receiving medical attention ASAP is a must, no matter how serious your injury seems to you. If you do go and pursue a claim, you will need a medical record, explain Blumenshine Law Group. Don’t put off getting seen by a professional. Keep your own record of what happened too, as well as who saw it happen. Taking pictures of your injury can be helpful too.

Getting Insurance

Many self employed people don’t work alongside others. What do you do if you’re one of these kinds of self employed people? First off, you need to be sure that you have insurance in place to cover you if something should happen. Yes, it’s a little extra expense, but it’s worth looking at if you are worried that you may hurt yourself in a way that puts you out of action for a while. Lost earnings could seriously hinder you, especially if you don't have savings. Think about how you’d cope if you were out of work for a few weeks. It isn’t a lot of time, but it is when you’re self employed and you rely on those earnings.

Having the right kind of insurance for other staff members, if you have them, is a legal requirement. This is something that should be looked into before you even hire.

Most professional law companies will offer your advice for free with no obligation, so you don’t have to worry about spending too much when you’re just getting an idea of what could happen in your case. You can find out quickly and easily whether you’ll be able to make a claim at all.

It’s always best to look at things in the long term right from the get go, and consider every eventuality so you can be properly prepared. You’ll only regret not having savings or insurance later on down the line if something does happen. You can’t put a price on your peace of mind.