- Workers’ Compensation Benefits
- Common Accidents That Lead to Workers’ Compensation Benefits
- Work-Related Injuries
- How Soon Should I Contact a Workers’ Compensation Attorney?
- Hire a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Today
Catastrophic injuries from a workplace accident can leave you unable to work and provide for your family. Injured workers need to focus on their rehabilitation and returning to everyday life.
However, filing workers’ comp claims and dealing with your compensation insurance company can be too much to handle while undergoing treatment and therapy. This results in many workplace accident victims missing out on a fair settlement.
When you work with a lawyer, you can obtain the fair compensation coverage you need to get your life back on track. You can work with the workers’ compensation lawyers at Nessler & Associates for help in understanding your legal rights during the complex workers’ compensation process.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Many states have laws that will cover all medical benefits to treat a work-related injury. You may also be entitled to permanent total disability benefits if your injury is severe enough to keep you from working in the future.
Your workers’ compensation benefits can also include:
- Temporary disability benefits if your injuries make you unable to work for a limited period of time
- Permanent partial disability benefits if you have a permanent disability or disfigurement but can perform work
- If you are taking part in a vocational rehabilitation program, you can receive vocational rehabilitation benefits
Common Accidents That Lead to Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Insurance providers cite overexertion as the most common cause of workplace injuries. It is responsible for almost a quarter of the overall workplace accident burden. Working past your body’s ability to perform a job safely can lead to a variety of accidents and serious injuries.
The most common types of accidents that result in workers’ compensation benefits are:
Falls
The National Safety Council reports that 805 workers died and 211,640 were injured severely enough to warrant taking time off work in 2020. 136 fatalities occurred in falls in the same year.
Slip-and-fall accidents are the third most common cause of workers’ compensation claims from 2018 to 2019. Workers’ compensation claims for slips and falls averaged $46,681 in the same period.
Struck by object
Injuries from falling objects can be hazardous, as an object may fall from a significant height. In 2020, 716 workers were injured by objects, including 217 from falling objects.
Pinch point accidents
In a pinch point accident, a body part gets stuck between two moving mechanical parts such as gears in engines, pulleys, or conveyors. Excavators and hydraulic presses often exert crushing force in these types of accidents, making them hazardous.
Transport accidents
Transport accidents are the most common type of fatal on-the-job accident, with 1,778 fatalities in 2020. This translates to over 37.3% of work-related deaths. These accidents can occur while operating a company car, truck, or other roadway vehicles.
Construction accidents
Construction workers are vulnerable to various accidents, including falls and pinch point accidents. Small contractors with fewer than 20 employees account for 75% of fatal falls in the construction industry between 2016 and 2017.
Toxic chemical or harmful environment exposure
Exposure to toxic chemicals includes coming into contact with cleaning agents, glues, and fuels. Common harmful chemicals that workers encounter include arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium.
Radiation, oxygen deprivation, or exposure to temperature extremes can be harmful and account for over 1,176,340 incidents every year in the United States.
Work-Related Injuries
An injury at work can be as severe as torn ligaments and muscles, broken bones, or conditions that can keep workers away from their jobs for days, weeks, or even months. Those who suffer permanent injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, may have difficulty adjusting to their new lives.
Torn ligaments and muscles
While most muscles need 4 to 6 weeks to heal, some tears can take months or even years to recover. Damaged tendons and ligaments can require costly surgery and leave joints unable to function to their full capacity. Long-term use of ligaments and tendons for work tasks can lead to repetitive motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, degenerative arthritis, and cumulative neck injury.
Broken bones
You can suffer broken bones from transport accidents, falling objects, and slip-and-fall accidents. Most bone fractures can take 6 to 12 weeks to heal. However, more severe breaks can take several years for the body to develop a new bone.
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury is damage to the brain resulting from a closed-head injury or an object penetrating the skull. Suffering a concussion can result in memory, judgment, and concentration issues that can keep victims from returning to work. It can also cause insomnia, mood swings, and fatigue.
Spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury results from damage to the nerves and other important cells in a fall or a motor vehicle accident. It may result in temporary or permanent changes in movement, strength, and body function.
Surgical treatment and physical therapy can help an injured worker cope with a spinal cord injury. A severe spinal cord injury can also leave the victim with a permanent disability.
Psychological injury
Besides the physical injuries employees can sustain in the workplace, psychological harm is also possible due to a traumatic event. Traumatic events, including witnessing a disturbing incident and incurring a catastrophic injury, can induce depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Your doctor will conduct a physical and psychological evaluation to determine the complete list of signs and symptoms of PTSD.
After an injury at work, seek adequate medical care from your health care providers. Make sure you collect a copy of your medical history and bills for your claim.
If you’ve suffered partial or complete permanent disability due to your injuries, you may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. An attorney at Nessler & Associates can review your medical records to understand the severity of your injuries and understand the financial benefits to help in your recovery.
How Soon Should I Contact a Workers’ Compensation Attorney?
After you suffer an injury, you can reach out to an experienced workers’ comp lawyer who can help you file a workers’ compensation claim. Your lawyer can use their legal knowledge about the compensation laws to help you through the compensation process.
Our skilled workers’ compensation attorneys provide many legal services, including investigating the accident and gathering evidence about the workplace incident to effectively present your workers’ comp claim.
Hiring a qualified attorney can help you avoid mistakes in obtaining workers’ compensation benefits by negotiating with your employer’s insurance company for a lump sum settlement. We can fight for your rightful compensation with a lump sum settlement.
Hire a Workers’ Comp Lawyer Today
Medical treatments, physical therapy, counseling, and other services may be required for a full recovery from a workplace accident. An experienced attorney for workers’ comp at Nessler & Associates will provide you with the legal representation you need in dealing with the aftermath of your work-related injury.
If you’re concerned about the cost of hiring an experienced attorney, Nessler & Associates operates on a contingency fee basis. We don’t get paid unless you receive a settlement or verdict.
With a track record spanning over 35 years, we can get you the maximum compensation settlement for the medical condition resulting from your job injury. Our lawyers can remove the burden of filing for workers’ comp from your shoulders and work on your behalf to pursue a settlement, allowing you to heal from your injuries.
Call our law firm at (800) 727-8010 to arrange a free, confidential consultation.
