Working in an environment where machinery is consistently used can put you at risk of being injured. And when you’re injured on the job, you can face a whole host of challenges that can be difficult to overcome. While you’ll most certainly experience extensive pain and maybe even limited mobility, the financial losses associated with your workplace accident can be consuming. Medical bills and rehabilitation expenses can quickly accumulate during a time when you’re unable to work and earn the wages needed to stabilize your financial situation, which can leave you in a tough spot. Although that might leave you feeling anxious about the future, you should take comfort knowing that you can pursue workers’ compensation benefits in hopes of securing financial resources to help offset your losses until you can return to work.
But what machinery-related injuries might qualify for workers’ compensation benefits? Let’s look at some of the most common so that you have a better idea of when you should consider taking the first steps toward building your workers’ compensation claim.
The most common machinery-related workplace injuries
There’s a lot that can go wrong when working with machinery. Here are some of the most common suffered injuries related to machinery use in the workplace and that may qualify you for workers’ compensation benefits:
- Being crushed: Machinery and their operators can move in unexpected ways. When you’re crushed by a forklift, pinned between moving parts on a machine or are buried by falling inventory attributable to machine or operator error, then you can suffer extensive injuries including broken bones, lacerations and internal bleeding.
- Being severely lacerated: A lot of machines have sharp parts. For example, if you work in a deli where a meat slicer is used, it’s easy to see how your finger can get sliced while carrying out your job duties. The same can be said for construction workers who utilize saws, drills and other pieces of equipment that could cut them. A laceration at work can lead to nerve and tendon damage, which can cause long-term pain and discomfort and negatively affect your ability to work for a significant period of time.
- Being burned: Generally, machinery heats up as its used. In some instances, encountering hot surfaces or heated liquids used by the machine can cause serious burns that can be so severe as to cause nerve damage.
- Suffering sprains: Overexertion is common in the workplace. Most of the time overnight rest is enough to refresh you for the next day, but in some instances this overuse can lead to serious injuries. Heavy lifting, for example, could lead to back injuries and herniated discs. These types of injuries have the potential for long term harm.
- Suffering eye and ear injuries: Flying debris and loud noised caused by machinery use can result in eye injuries, such as corneal abrasions, as well as hearing loss. These sorts of injuries can knock you out of work for a significant period of time and render it difficult to return to your chosen profession.
Act now to protect your interests through a workers’ compensation claim
If you’ve lost income and incurred medical expenses due to your workplace injury, then you should consider pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. If successful on this claim, you could receive monthly benefits that provide you a financial lifeline as you try to recover from the harm that’s befallen you. Without it, you could face hardship and even the possibility of eviction or foreclosure as well as vehicle repossession and other collection efforts. Don’t let yourself fall into that position. Instead, start thinking about the best way to build and present your case so that you protect your interests as much as possible moving forward.