Five Common Types of Workers’ Compensation Claims

Did you sustain a workplace injury recently that has prevented you from working like usual? Join the millions of other Americans who file workers’ compensation claims each year. Begin by figuring out how to find a good workers’ compensation lawyer.

Ensure you understand some common types of workers’ compensation claims, too. This will help you determine just how strong your case is as you start the process of filing a claim in pursuit of fair compensation for the medical expenses and lost work you’ve had to ensure.

Here are five common types of workers’ compensation claims.

1. Strains and Sprains

Strains and sprains comprise about one-third of the workers’ compensation claims filed annually. On the surface, these may not seem like serious injuries, but they might take a real toll on people and prevent them from doing their jobs adequately or at all.

Strains are often overuse injuries that occur when people are forced to make repetitive motions throughout their workdays. They impact everyone, from warehouse workers who sustain strains in their back muscles while lifting heavy items to office workers who suffer strains in their necks, shoulders, and wrists while working on computers all day.

Sprains, meanwhile, tend to happen suddenly when workers make abnormal movements while performing certain tasks. For example, a warehouse worker might sprain an ankle after stepping on debris left on the floor, or an office worker might sprain their back muscles while improperly lifting a heavy box of printer paper.

The good news is that strains and sprains don’t usually impact workers for extended periods. With the correct medical care, they heal within weeks, if not sooner, allowing them to get back to their normal routines.

But if strains or sprains ever keep you from working for even just a few days, you may want to consider filing workers’ compensation claims in these cases to make up for lost wages.

2. Lacerations and Cuts

Lacerations and cuts are other common workplace injuries that affect many Americans every year. Labor workers, in particular, are sometimes subjected to scenarios that cause them to sustain bad lacerations and cuts to their hands and fingers.

Employers might try to prevent lacerations and cuts from impacting their employees by providing proper hand protection and adequate training. However, some jobs require the use of sharp tools, which can still cause these lacerations and cuts during workplace accidents.

Seek medical attention for even minor lacerations and cuts right away to prevent them from causing bigger health issues, such as infections, down the line. Think about filing workers’ compensation claims if you ever sustain especially bad lacerations and cuts, too, to provide them with enough time to heal without devastating your finances.

3. Fractured Bones

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly half a million slip, trip, and fall accidents occur within U.S. workplaces each year. They’re responsible for causing hundreds of thousands of work injuries, including many fractured bones.

If you break a bone while at work, it will almost always sideline you for many weeks. Whether you break your hand, arm, hip, leg, ankle, or foot during a slip, trip, or fall accident, it will take you out of commission for at least a short while. You may struggle to perform everyday tasks because of broken bones.

Other workplace accidents also cause fractured bones, especially machinery accidents that may put workers in precarious positions.

Anyone who breaks bones at work should look into filing a workers’ compensation claim. When you take this approach to dealing with workplace injuries, you can give your bone fractures the necessary time to heal without sacrificing all your income.

4. Concussions

Traumatic brain injuries and, more specifically, concussions have become increasingly common in U.S. workplaces. Studies have suggested that about one-fourth of those who suffer from concussions every year sustain them while at work.

Those in certain industries are more susceptible to concussions than others. Be aware of the possibility of sustaining a TBI at work if you’re a:

• Truck driver
• Construction worker
• First responder
• Warehouse worker
• Miner
• Military member
• Logger

However, don’t think that just because you don’t work in one of these professions that there isn’t a chance you might sustain a concussion in your workplace. Any trauma to the head may cause concussions, and those who suffer from them will need to explore filing workers’ compensation claims.

Persistent concussion symptoms may limit the workload you’re capable of handling. You might even need to file for long-term disability in some cases based on how your body and brain bounce back from a concussion

5. Workplace Violence Injuries

Unfortunately, about two million Americans are victims of workplace violence every year. Workplace assaults cause almost 60,000 injuries to American workers alone.

Workplace violence may also result in more than just physical injuries. It may lead to psychological trauma as well, which is yet another reason why workers might choose to file workers’ compensation claims.

This is where workers’ compensation claims might prove tricky, as these claims aren’t always as cut and dry as claims related to strains and sprains or lacerations and cuts. Hire a workers’ compensation attorney you trust to take on a case stemming from a workplace violence incident.

Doing this could be the difference between having a workers’ compensation claim approved or denied. The right lawyer will lead the way as you attempt to take legal action and collect compensation after sustaining workplace violence injuries.

Rely on the Right Lawyer To Help You File Workers’ Compensation Claims

These are just a few of the common workers’ compensation claims people file throughout the U.S. every year. Many other workplace injuries will also warrant calls to workers’ compensation lawyers.

Accident Hotline can hook you up with a reliable workers’ compensation attorney in your area who will evaluate your case and help you decide what to do next. Contact us at (844) 343-9609 to connect with a lawyer for a free consultation so you can explore your options.