If you are a police officer who was recently injured in the line of duty, there is a very good chance that you are currently dealing with far more than simply the physical pain associated with your injury. In many cases, injured officers are suddenly forced to think about medical treatment, paperwork, missed time from work, workers’ compensation benefits, insurance companies, and how the injury may impact their future and their family going forward. Unfortunately, many officers are unaware of just how important the steps they take immediately after an accident or injury can be. That is why our firm has compiled this checklist to help injured officers better understand some of the actions they should consider taking after sustaining an injury. Please continue reading and reach out to Mitchell J. Schroeder, P.C. to learn more about what you need to do after sustaining an injury on the job.
Injured as a Police Officer? Here Are The Steps You Need to Take.
1. Report the Incident
One of the very first things you should do after sustaining an injury is properly report the incident through the appropriate channels. Though this may seem relatively straightforward, many officers later encounter issues simply because certain paperwork was incomplete, delayed, or never properly documented in the first place. Some of the most important things you should do are as follows:
- Notify the appropriate supervisor or command as soon as possible.
- Complete all line-of-duty reports, accident reports, incident reports, and workers’ compensation paperwork.
- Keep copies of all reports, paperwork, correspondence, and related documentation for your own records.
2. Get Medical Care and Follow Through
Far too often, injured officers attempt to “push through” pain or delay treatment because they do not initially believe their injuries are serious enough to warrant immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, this can sometimes create both medical and legal complications later on. For this reason, you should:
- Seek prompt medical treatment.
- Explain to medical providers exactly how the injury occurred.
- Report every area of pain or injury, even if certain symptoms appear relatively minor at first.
- Follow all treatment recommendations and avoid unnecessary gaps in treatment.
3. Preserve Evidence
Evidence can disappear surprisingly quickly after an accident or injury. Because of this, it is often extremely important to preserve as much evidence as possible while it is still available. This can include:
- Taking photographs or video of the accident scene, hazardous conditions, vehicles, equipment, and visible injuries.
- Obtaining names and contact information for any witnesses.
- Preserving reports, records, damaged property, or any physical evidence connected to the incident.
- Acting quickly to preserve surveillance footage, dashcam footage, bodycam footage, Ring footage, or nearby business recordings.
4. Be Careful Speaking With Insurance Companies
After an injury, you may be contacted by insurance representatives relatively quickly. While you should always remain polite and cooperative, you should also understand that insurance companies are frequently attempting to evaluate and limit financial exposure as early as possible. For this reason, you should generally avoid the following:
- Guessing about the extent of your injuries.
- Minimizing your symptoms.
- Giving recorded statements before fully understanding your rights.
- Signing releases, checks, or authorizations before carefully reviewing them.
5. Document Lost Time and Financial Impact
An injury can impact far more than simply your immediate medical condition. In many cases, officers also experience significant financial consequences that can continue long after the initial accident itself. Because of this, you should be sure to document all of the following things:
- Missed work.
- Lost overtime opportunities.
- Missed secondary employment.
- Medical expenses.
- Prescription costs.
- Travel expenses associated with treatment.
- Disability paperwork and workers’ compensation documentation.
- Work restrictions and limitations.
6. Watch for Common Injury Symptoms
Not all injuries become fully apparent immediately after an accident. In fact, many officers initially believe they are “fine,” only to experience worsening symptoms in the days or weeks afterward. Some symptoms that should never be ignored can include the following:
- Headaches.
- Dizziness.
- Confusion.
- Memory problems.
- Light sensitivity.
- Neck or back pain.
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness.
- Shoulder, knee, hip, wrist, or joint pain.
- Difficulty walking, lifting, carrying, driving, or performing job-related duties.
- Anxiety
7. Know That You May Have More Than One Claim
One important thing many injured officers are unaware of is that, depending on the circumstances surrounding the injury, there may be more than one available claim or source of recovery. For example, an officer may potentially have claims or rights involving:
- Workers’ compensation benefits.
- No-fault benefits.
- Disability benefits.
- Pension disability issues.
- Third-party personal injury claims.
8. Speak With an Attorney Promptly
If you were injured on the job, one of the most important things you can do is reach out to a competent and dedicated personal injury attorney who can help you better understand:
- Your legal rights.
- Potential claims that may exist.
- Important filing deadlines.
- The types of compensation or benefits that may be available to you.
You may contact our office at any time for a free case consultation. We are always glad to answer questions, explain the process, and help injured officers better understand their legal options going forward.
Ultimately, you risk your life every day to help protect the people in your community. If you were injured while performing your duties, you should not feel as though you have to face the fallout entirely on your own. Our team is dedicated to representing injured police officers, and we’d be proud to represent you, too. Contact Mitchell J. Schroeder, P.C. today so we can discuss your case, and if you’d like to download our police officer injury checklist, simply click here.
