How to reduce the swelling of a minor head injury? And should I be worried?!

How to reduce the swelling of a minor head injury? And should I be worried?

so today while I was at work I was coming out of the walk-in freezer. As I was coming out one of my coworkers kicked it shut REALLY hard. My head became wedged in the door. So now I have 3 bruises on my face (one on my eye, forehead and cheek) as well as terrible swelling. It was really painful and I cried a lot like a big baby. So my manager is also a paramedic, she put ice on it and checked me out. She said I was okay.

So I continued working for 4 more hours before being sent home. I couldn't concentrate on my work and I was feeling really lightheaded/tired.

My dad says that they should have sent me to the ER. But they didn't. He also says I should get workers comp. but I don't know if that's applicable since I wasn't on the clock. So what should I do now? My parents won't take me to the doctor because at the moment we can't afford it.

Do I just keep it iced and hope it gets better?

Any help is greatly appreciated! = )

Just for reference, it ABSOLUTELY does matter whether or not you were clocked in and working at the time. State laws vary, but in some of the states I handle, if the employee was off the clock the claim would be denied. In your case, since you were coming out of the walk-in freezer, it sounds like you were working, (I'm not sure why you would be in the freezer if you were not on the clock). You really should contact your employer and let them know you are still having problems and need to see a doctor. In some states, the employer controls medical treatment, this means they decide where you go for treatment. So ask your employer where you should go to be treated. In the case of a head injury though, that should really have had immediate treatment. If you were indeed working and your employer refuses to file a claim or send you for treatment, contact your state's division of work comp, they will help you with your next steps. Lawyers are not free and if you get a settlement at the end of your claim, they take a portion. So I would suggest researching your state laws and try to do it on your own, but if you feel overwhelmed and don't think you can handle it on your own, you probably should get a lawyer. If you have any questions, feel free to email me and I will try my best to help.

BTW, why the heck was your coworker kicking the door shut? Is that normal practice?