The 4 Most Common Workplace Injuries That Result in a Worker’s Comp Case
Written by Cooper & Friedman PLLC on August 19, 2024
In the case of injuries that happen at work, workers receive relief for their financial loss or medical bills in the form of workers compensation. Workers compensation is a type of insurance that provides wage replacement and medical benefits to those injured in exchange for the right to sue their employer. However, even if workers comp attempts to alleviate the financial and emotional strain of the situation, it is always better to stay as safe as possible. Sometimes, the most common workplace injuries happen entirely by accident. But other times, they are the result of negligent or unsafe behavior, environment, or equipment.
The Most Common Workplace Injuries Are:
1. Overexertion and Bodily Reaction
Overexertion and bodily reaction is usually due to non-impact injuries or repetitive motion. Non-impact injuries include those resulting from physical effort exerted on an outside source, such as:
- Lifting
- Pushing
- Turning
- Holding
- Carrying
- Throwing
- Bracing
Repetitive motion injuries happen when a part of the body is strained over and over again doing the same motion. Factory workers and other manual labor jobs often have workers bending or performing the same task repetitively. Elbow, knee, wrist, and hip joints are highly susceptible to repetitive motion overexertion.
2. Contact with Objects and Equipment
Contact with objects and equipment covers many different work-related injuries. Unnatural contact with objects and equipment, especially motorized machines or fast-moving objects, can result in very serious, even life-threatening injuries. These injuries account for events such as:
- A moving object striking a worker.
- A worker bumping into, stepping on, kicking, or being pushed or thrown onto an object.
- A part of a worker’s body being squeezed, pinched, compressed, or crushed in equipment, between shifting objects, between stationary objects, or in a wire or rope.
- A worker being struck, caught, or crushed in a collapsing structure, equipment, or material.
- A worker being injured as a result of friction or pressure between the person and the source of injury.
- A worker being injured from intense vibration (such as a concussion or dislocation).
3. Falls, Slips, Trips
Slips and falls are very common workplace injuries, but are also difficult to prove if the object or barrier that workers trip on is temporary. Common fall, slip, and trip injuries are:
- Injuries occurring when a worker catches themselves from falling
- Falling onto the ground or against an object on the same level
- Falling onto a lower level (down a staircase, ladder, roof, scaffolding, or other structure, or through a compromised surface)
- Injuries resulting from a jump
If you injure yourself in a slip and fall at work due to the employer or property owner’s negligence, be sure to take pictures and document the unsafe working conditions before they are moved or fixed. This evidence will help you get the compensation you deserve!
4. Exposure to Harmful Substances or Environments
Exposure to harmful substances or environments are not just common workplace injuries for workers in industries such as toxic cleanup or nuclear power. They pertain to normal, everyday companies as well. According to the National Safety Council, harmful substances and environment can include:
- Exposure to electricity
- Exposure to radiation and noise
- Exposure to temperature extremes
- Exposure to air and water pressure change
- Exposure to other harmful substances
- Includes contagious and infectious diseases such as COVID-19
- Exposure to oxygen deficiency
- Exposure to traumatic or stressful event
Anything from an old office building with asbestos to a construction site where a gas line ruptures can be a harmful substance or environment.
Contact Cooper and Friedman, Workers Compensation Lawyers in Louisville, KY
Sometimes the wages or medical benefits from the given workers comp are not enough to cover what you are due. That is where workers comp lawyers like Cooper and Friedman come in. We help injured workers receive the compensation they deserve, and not a lower amount set by insurance companies to save money. From common workplace injuries to rare or niche ones, Cooper and Friedman are here to help the working class of Louisville, KY with their slip and fall or personal injury cases at work.
If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident at your workplace in the State of Kentucky and are in need of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney, give the lawyers at the Cooper & Friedman law firm a call. The attorneys at Cooper and Friedman PLLC have over 50 years of combined experience defending the rights of slip and fall and personal injury victims. Contact us with questions you might have or schedule a free case consultation with an attorney by calling 502-459-7555 today.