In the minutes and hours after a crush incident, the choices you make can shape your claim later—especially when the case involves equipment logs, safety procedures, or witness accounts.
If you can, focus on these priorities:
- Get medical care right away (and insist the exam documents the mechanism of injury). Even if pain seems manageable, crush injuries can reveal hidden damage.
- Report the incident properly through your employer or site supervisor. Make sure an incident number and written report exist.
- Preserve evidence before it’s cleared or replaced. In industrial settings, equipment is often reset quickly and footage may be overwritten.
- Write down what you remember while it’s fresh: what machine or dock component was involved, what you were doing, who was present, and what safety steps were in place.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to an insurer or employer without understanding how it may be used.
If you’re trying to figure out whether you should file a claim—or you’ve already started talking to adjusters—getting local legal guidance early can help you avoid delays that hurt evidence.


