I Got Hurt Working at Hungry Howie’s

Founded in 1973, Hungry Howie’s now has more than 500 locations in 21 states in the US. With company revenues exceeding $280 million, they have thousands of employees that serve the public with their menu. But just like any other franchise, restaurant, or café, employees can get injured.

What happens when you suffer a workplace injury at Hungry Howie’s or any restaurant? For the many who work in cafeterias, restaurants, and fast food locations, the answer may not be apparent. Too many workers who are hurt on the job take the wrong action because they are either not aware or fully understand what they are entitled to under the law.

That is where worker’s compensation lawyers can be quite helpful in providing the guidance needed to know what to do. But before you reach out to them, the first step is to evaluate the injury that you have suffered.

What Employees Can Do

It begins with all employees observing the proper safety measures and protocols of the workplace. At Hungry Howie’s for example, slip and fall injuries along with burns are the most common. This means wearing the proper safety protection, being mindful of your surroundings, and not getting into a rush when doing your job. The goal is to work at a pace that delivers the proper services to customers as quickly as possible without sacrificing the ability to stay safe.

But even the best of preventative measures cannot stop all accidents from happening. So, what happens when you get injured? The first step is to get the proper treatment. Everything else is pushed aside until your injuries are properly addressed. From putting a band-aid on a small cut to calling for an ambulance, getting the proper medical treatment is your first step. After that, consider the following.

• Assess any further medical treatment that might be needed
• Take the time to recover before considering going back to work
• Understand that you may be due compensation
• Do not sign any paperwork without a lawyer present

At Hungry Howie’s as well as any place of business, it is in the insurance company’s best interest to pay as low an amount as possible. This means for injuries that require medical attention, you will need to have a lawyer present to represent your interest. A good lawyer will do the following.

• Provide advice and guidance
• Represent you when working with the insurance company
• Get what is due under the law

Remember that recovering from a serious injury requires more than medical treatment. So, you will need to fully understand the options available.

What Employers Can Do

For restaurants or fast-food franchise owners, there are steps you can take to ensure a safe workplace. Of course, even the most diligent of safety protocols will not prevent all accidents from taking place, but you can not only reduce the chances of a serious injury from happening, but you can also help your employees get the treatment needed just in case.

Get Care First: The very first step is to ensure that the employee who is injured gets the care and treatment they need. From wrapping up a small cut with a bandage to calling for emergency services, getting them the right type of treatment quickly is paramount.

• Emergencies: Call 911
• Non-Emergencies: Take an employee to the nearest medical care facility
• First Aid Kit: For small injuries such as minor cuts and abrasions

Your first duty is to care for your employees, so put aside the paperwork for now and focus on getting your employee the treatment that is needed.

Secure the Area: Once the proper medical attention has been provided, you will need to secure the area in which the accident occurred. Keeping some safety tape, cones, or barriers in the closet is a good idea as they can cordon off the location where the accident occurred. Keep such barriers in place until the authorities arrive to investigate the situation.

Investigate & Do the Paperwork: Now you are ready to find out what happened, so you can put all the details in your paperwork. This means gathering facts from witnesses who were there to see the accident occur. You need to know where, when, and what type of medical treatment was provided. Keep in mind that this is part of the OSHA protocols for finding out what happened and not pointing fingers.

Once you have the information gathered, you can now file the paperwork as per worker’s compensation rules for your area. All claims will need to be filed 24 hours from the time of the incident. Depending on the insurance company, you may be able to file your report via the phone or the internet. Be sure to keep all records of the incident properly filed and accessible when they are needed.

Assess When Employee Can Return to Work: For injuries that range from sprains and muscle strains to more serious conditions, your employee may be off for a few days up to a few weeks or longer depending on the severity of the injuries received. Keep in mind that the longer they are away from work, the harder it will be for them to return.

You may need to establish transitional work for them, such as going from manual labor to clerical work and the like to ease them back into the job. Such positions may be temporary or permanent depending on the injuries that were received.

Safety Assessment: As your employee is recovering, you will need to make a new assessment of the safety protocols and procedures for your workplace. What happened before may happen again unless you take the proper steps. Again, you may not be able to prevent all accidents, but you can identify issues that may likely cause injuries to occur and address them appropriately.

If you suffered a workplace injury at Hungry Howie’s or any restaurant, get treated first and then get representation. There are workman’s compensation lawyers who can work with the restaurant and insurance company to ensure that you get due compensation when you are hurt on the job.