Workers Compensation and Back Injuries

Workers Compensation and Back Injuries

If you suffered a back injury while on the job, you’re already aware that back injuries can be extremely painful. They can also make it impossible to perform even simply tasks such as tying one’s shoes or cooking. It can also make it impractical to return to work. A workers compensation lawyer is very familiar with this scenario, and it is one that is all too common. If you sustained a serious injury at work, a lawyer may be able to help you get a settlement which can replace your lost income and pay for all of your injury-related costs.

Workers Compensation Benefits

In a perfect world, every worker who sustains any kind of injury receives sufficient benefits from workers compensation to pay for all of their lost wages and accident costs such as medical care. However, that rarely happens. In fact, workers compensation does not pay you your full wages, even if you are unable to work because of a work injury for which you were not at fault. This can be unfair, and if you are denied any benefits for one or more reasons, you may be unable to afford proper medical care to treat your condition. If your personal health insurance does not cover your injury related costs, you may have to seek less than acceptable medical care and insufficient or no medications. As a result, you may not heal as fast or as fully as you might otherwise. For these reasons, it’s important to contact a workers compensation lawyer as soon as possible.

The Nature of Back Injuries

Many back injuries are mild and do not require significant care or recovery time. In those cases, the worker’s physician may recommend that the employee stays home from work for a minimal period of time and take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication. However, more serious back injuries can require significant recovery time and necessitate staying home for an extended period. If this describes you, workers compensation benefits may not be enough to pay for your injury treatment and everyday bills because you’re not able to generate your normal level of income. You may have options available to you in lieu of workers compensation.

Personal Injury Claims

A workers compensation lawyer New York trusts can help you get the compensation they deserve after suffering a terrible injury while on the job. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you may qualify for a settlement as a result of a successful personal injury claim. In lieu of workers compensation, you may be better off filing a claim against the party responsible for your injury. Very often such a settlement is far greater than what you might hope to receive from workers compensation benefits. It requires an experienced workers compensation lawyer to analyze the details of your case and make this determination.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, PC for their insight into workers compensation.

Workers Compensation Attorney

Workers Compensation Lawyer

Being injured at work can cause anxiety, stress, and confusion. You might wonder what will happen while you recover from your injuries? How will you cover your medical bills and expenses? What about your job; will you be fired?

As a workers compensation attorney, we understand your concerns and would like to explain your legal rights and options to you during a free and confidential consultation. Lawyers help injured workers get maximum compensation for claims including:

• Temporary disability
• Total permanent disability
• Loss of limb
• Loss of eyesight
• Loss of hearing
• Neck, spine, or back injuries
• Head injuries
• Broken bones
• Torn muscles and ligaments
• Lacerations
• Burns
• Wrongful death
• + More

We know that your job and injury could have you anxious, and you’re scared about what the future holds. Rest assured as a workers compensation lawyer, we will work tenaciously to ensure your claim gets approved and you receive compensation that covers your living and medical expenses.

Workers Compensation Benefits

Every state has workers compensation laws that allow workers who have been injured on the job to recover a certain amount of compensation regardless of who is at fault. This protects both the employer and employee. While on workers compensation, a workers can receive medical care, treatment, and rehabilitation. He or she is also compensated, up to a certain percentage, of their salary. In turn, the employer is protected from a lawsuit being filed against them. Benefits that may be available include:

Medical Care – Including surgery, hospital visits, doctors visits, medication, lab work, rehabilitation, etc.

Disability – Coverage for workers who are no longer able to work, or have been partially disabled.

Permanent Loss – Including loss of limb or one of the five senses.

Death – Benefits are paid to the surviving family members when a worker loses his or her life.

Not every employee will be able to claim workers compensation. For example independent contractors are generally not covered by these benefits. A workers compensation lawyer can discuss the qualification requirements in further detail.

Let a Workers Compensation Lawyer Review Your Case

The workers compensation process is not as straightforward as it might seem. It is very common for claims to be denied at first which not only delays you in getting the money you need, but also requires you to go through a tedious appeals process.

Furthermore, you have limited windows of time to initiate the process. If you miss this short deadline, you can be barred from collecting workers compensation. Finally, there is a chance that by filing workers compensation on your own, you could lose out on money that you need and deserve. For this reason you should ask a workers compensation lawyer to help you with the process. A work injury lawyer can ensure all documentation is correctly completed and filed in a timely manner. He or she can also maintain communication with your employer and their insurance company; thereby, protect your legal rights to the fullest.

Vehicle Crashes in the Workplace

Posted on June 27th, 2018 by Oddo & Babat, P.C.

Vehicle accidents are one of the most common types of workplace accidents and can result in serious injuries. The collisions can involve several types of vehicles, including passenger cars, delivery trucks and farm equipment. If you were hurt while driving a vehicle for work purposes, you may be entitled to compensation. It may be wise to talk to a qualified workers’ compensation lawyer about your case.

What Workers Are At Risk of Vehicle Accidents?

Professions that involve transporting goods or people by vehicle present an accident risk. Taxi drivers, police officers, truck drivers, laborers, sales people and construction workers are just some workers who have a higher risk of getting into a vehicle crash at work.

What Types of Injuries Can Result from Vehicle Accidents?

There are a wide range of injuries that can result from workplace vehicle accidents and some of them can be life-threatening. Here is a closer look:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries: Workers who hit their head on the windshield or somewhere else during a vehicle accident risk developing traumatic brain injuries. These injuries can be very serious and require surgery, physical therapy and other extensive treatments.

• Spinal Cord Injuries: Vehicle accidents can also sudden blows to the spine, which can severely damage the vertebrae. Symptoms of a spinal cord injury include loss of ability to move body parts, difficulty breathing, intense pain and loss of feeling. Severe spinal cord injuries can result in permanent disability.

• Broken Bones: Broken bones are another common injury that results from workplace vehicle accidents. While rarely life threatening, broken bones can cause severe pain and may even require surgery.

• Lacerations: If objects inside the vehicle, such as coffee cups or phones, hit workers during an accident, they can suffer lacerations. Lacerations might not seem as serious as the other injuries, but they can get infected and lead to permanent scarring if not treated promptly.

What Are Causes of Workplace Vehicle Accidents?

Workplace accidents are caused by a number of factors, including:

• Lack of Sleep: If a worker has not been getting a lot of sleep and gets behind the wheel at work, he or she may not be able to focus on the road and get into an accident.

• Distractions: Workers who are not completely focused on the road because they are look at their smartphones or distracted in some other way risk getting into an accident.

• Alcohol and Drugs: Unfortunately, some workers choose to use alcohol or drugs before getting behind the wheel at work and endangers their lives and other people’s lives.

• Speeding: Workers who drive above the speed limit won’t have as good of reactions times and can get into collisions with other vehicles.

A work injury lawyer from Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt. will meet and evaluate your case and then provide you with the legal options you may have.

It’s Summertime, and Vibrio is a Problem

Vibrio Lawyer Tennessee

If there is one thing a lawyer will tell you is that a vibrio infection is not a day at the beach. But when most people think about vibrio, they think about raw seafood – oyster, clams, scallops, and shellfish in general. They do not usually think about the beach, or rather, ocean water.

But if you have been watching the news this summer, you probably have heard of the term “flesh-eating bacteria.” Flesh-eating bacteria is actually a species of vibrio, called vibrio vulnificus. It does not actually “eat” flesh, but rather kills it. A long-term complication of this type of infection causes skin around the infected area to slowly die, called necrosis fasciitis. This can also lead to the potential for limb amputation, and possibly, death. According to the CDC, many cases are diagnosed across the United States each year, requiring quick antibiotic treatment for survival. There have been cases from Florida, Alabama, Texas, and other Gulf Coast states in the news recently linked to swimming in ocean waters. Vibrio, which loves warm, salty, brackish water, infected those who became ill through open wounds.

Summer is especially a concerning time for vibrio, due to the warming of coastal waters. Vibrio vulnificus is not because of pollution, and is not unique to the Gulf of Mexico.

What Are Vibrio Symptoms?

Vibrio symptoms typically begin within 24 hours of infection.  Vibrio symptoms include: watery diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, fever, and chills.  Symptoms often last about three days.

However, Vibrio can lead to severe infections, amputations, and even death in vulnerable people.  Vibrio can infect and sicken anyone.  But people with any of the following conditions are more likely to get Vibrio infections and, once infected, are more likely to suffer severe (even life threatening) complications:

• People undergoing any type of immune-suppressing therapy as part of their medical treatment;
• People taking medicine to reduce levels of stomach acids;
• People who have recently had stomach surgery; and
• People with liver disease, cancer, diabetes, thalassemia, or HIV.

People with any of these conditions are at an especially high risk from Vibrio infections.

How Common is Vibrio?

According to the CDC, each year approximately 80,000 Americans are infected with Vibrio.  Approximately 100 Americans die from Vibrio infections each year.

How Is Vibrio Diagnosed?

Vibrio infections are diagnosed by testing the stool, blood, or wound of a patient.

Prevention

But vibrio infections of this kind are preventable. According to the Galveston County Department of Health,

“People who suffer cuts while in natural bodies of water anywhere should immediately leave the water, thoroughly clean the wound and do not return until the wound heals. It’s important to keep an eye on the area for infection or swelling. If either occur, medical attention should be obtained immediately. Vibrio vulnificus infections are treatable, especially if caught early. Wearing water shoes while swimming and gloves or waders while fishing can help prevent cuts.”