Accidents at work can cause physical injuries and psychological impacts. Be alert to how a workplace accident has affected you and seek help as soon as possible.
Types of injury
Psychological injuries can include but are not limited to, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, and depression. You may experience feelings of hopelessness, flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety, panic attacks, difficulty concentrating, or social withdrawal. These symptoms can have a major impact on your daily life.
Causes and risk of injury
Various factors can have contributed to your psychological injury following an accident at work and can include:
- How severe the accident was;
- Whether you have any history of mental health problems that could have been worsened by the accident;
- Whether you received any support from your workplace or friends and family; and
- How supportive your workplace is of any ongoing psychological injury you have.
Impact on work and life
Psychological injuries can not only affect your performance at work following the accident, but they can also affect your relationships with family and friends outside of work as well as your physical health. You or those close to you may notice changes in your behaviour, mood, or well-being such as withdrawing from social situations, seeming absent or forgetful in conversations, or having constant fatigue.
What to do if you have suffered from a psychological injury from an accident at work:
- Seek treatment and support. Contact your GP or hospital to discuss your symptoms and how you are feeling. Ask friends, family, or mental health charities for additional support as well.
- Report the accident. Ensure the accident is reported to your employer and that they are aware of your psychological injury. The accident should be recorded in your workplace’s accident book.
- Ingather evidence. Keep a hold of any record you have of the accident including photos and documentation. Note down the contact details of any witnesses of the accident and of anyone who helped or supported you following the accident.
- Keep a record of any other costs you sustained as a result of the accident including any private therapy sessions, lost wages or other expenses as these may be able to be included in your claim.
Making a claim
You will only have 3 years from the date of the accident to make a claim, so you must seek legal advice as soon as possible.
To discuss your case with a member of our team, call us today on 0800 988 8082 or complete our online enquiry form and we will get back to you right away.
