Employees are susceptible to a variety of injuries each day. One type of injury, called a crush injury, often leads to severe complications, including death. Due to the nature of this type of injury, victims often need a long recovery period that often leads to expenses, including hospital bills and lost wages.
What are Crush Injuries?
Crush injuries occur when an individual is pinned between two items. Ultimately, these incidents can lead to fatalities, nerve damage, internal bleeding, amputations, and other severe injuries.
Crush injury complications include:
- Spinal damage, including paralysis
- Tissue damage from blood flow disruption
- High risk of infection in damaged areas
- Severe brain injuries or internal bleeding
- Risk of Compartment Syndrome, which may lead to the death of important muscles and tissues
- Risk of Crush Syndrome, which often leads to organ shock and renal failure
Common Crush Injuries
Employees can obtain crush injuries whenever they are crushed between two items. However, there are a few common ways to obtain crush injuries. An employee may experience a crush injury from falling objects. For instance, if a construction worker is working in an unstable building, the ceilings, walls, or other objects may collapse and cause a crush injury.
An individual may also obtain a crush injury from being run over. Employees may experience this from a large piece of machinery, such as a forklift. The equipment used in construction settings are often extremely heavy. Therefore, severe injuries and fatalities may occur. Trench collapses can also cause injuries. Trenches are built by employees working on the inside. When trenches collapse, it often leads to fatalities.
Motor vehicle accidents may also lead to crush injuries. Professional drivers spend a lot of their time on the road. When an accident occurs, it may cause a crush injury. Mechanics may also obtain crush injuries if a vehicle falls on them due to a faulty jack stand.
Obtaining Workers’ Compensation for Crush Injuries
Due to the nature of crush injuries, employees may be unable to work. This can lead to financial difficulties for victims and their families. Therefore, it is important for injured employees to consult a Workers’ Compensation lawyer. This will help families secure funds for medical bills and lost wages. Similarly, if an injury was caused by an external party, it is possible that the victim can file a third-party personal injury claim. This would be applicable to parties, including construction site managers, vendors, and contractors. This option may be used if a party’s negligence led to the injury.
Wilmington Work Injury Lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow Advocate for Injured Employees
If you or a loved one obtained an injury at work, please consider contacting a Wilmington work injury lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow. Our lawyers work closely with clients to fight for entitled compensation. If you are interested in speaking to one of our lawyers, contact us online or call us at (302) 427-9500 for a free consultation. With offices located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we proudly serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford.
