After a serious pinning or compression injury, your next decisions can affect whether evidence survives and whether the full extent of harm is documented.
Do this early:
- Get medical care immediately (and keep copies of every visit note). Crush injuries can worsen as swelling and nerve symptoms evolve.
- Write down the timeline while it’s fresh: what you were doing, what failed or malfunctioned, and who was present.
- Request the incident report number from your employer or the property manager (if it was a workplace or business location).
- Preserve photos/video if you can do so safely—especially of the equipment area, guards, barriers, and the position of objects involved.
Avoid these common traps:
- Don’t rush into recorded statements before your injuries are fully assessed.
- Don’t rely on “someone will fix it” explanations—if safety issues existed, they often matter later.
- Don’t accept a quick settlement based only on initial ER numbers if you’re still undergoing treatment.


