Every industry has common injuries that qualify for worker’s compensation. While certain professions pose more risk of injury than others, it is important to recognize that every office and position comes with some level of risk. Being educated on potential injuries, knowing how to avoid them, and understanding what to do in the event that you receive an injury on the job are crucial to note for any position.

The most common injuries for worker’s compensation include overexertion, trips and falls, machinery accidents, transportation incidents, and workplace violence.

Overexertion

While overexertion is an injury that is most commonly placed in a warehouse occupation or medical field, it can also occur in an office setting. Overexertion is defined as a strained or pulled muscle caused during work or while performing a task necessary to one’s job. For example, a worker could overexert themselves and receive an injury by moving boxes in a warehouse or balancing a tray of food in a restaurant.

Trip and Falls

When an employee slips or trips, resulting in a fall, they may experience a number of different injuries, including sprains, breaks, and head injuries. Sometimes, a worker also deals with a reactionary injury from trying to stop the fall, which can cause wrist or ankle injuries. These falls can occur due to a wet floor, ice, loose carpet, or even stairs.

Repetitive Strain Injury

The same motion over and over again can result in injury. It’s crucial to report the painful symptoms as soon as you start to notice them. For example, repetitive strain injuries include carpal tunnel, tennis elbow, and bursitis. Workers who do repetitive tasks throughout their day may be particularly vulnerable to this type of injury.

Struck By or Against an Object

Workers can experience injury by being hit by an object or by falling into an object themselves. This injury can occur in an office, a retail store, or a warehouse. Injuries can be caused by items falling off of shelves or a worker falling into a machine or some other obstruction. Injuries caused by an object at work can be on a spectrum of strains to even wrongful death.

Highway Accident Injuries

Even in Florida with its no-fault status, injuries received while working in a car accident can be claimed as worker’s compensation. This applies to delivery drivers, semi-truck drivers, police officers, and more. If a worker is driving for work and injured while doing so, he or she can claim worker’s compensation.

Machinery Accident Injuries

Most common on construction sites or factories, machinery accidents occur for a variety of reasons such as faulty machinery or inappropriate use. However, machinery accidents can also occur in an office setting with paper shredders, printers, or copiers. Restaurants also have machinery that can also include injuries such as burns, scalds, or lacerations.

Electrocution

In the workforce, another common injury is electrocution, especially for electricians, equipment operators, construction workers, truck drivers, utility workers, and more. A high voltage electric shock can result in a heart attack, organ damage, brain injury, nerve damage, and severe burns. When this type of injury occurs, take the time to report the injury to your work immediately and seek worker’s compensation.

Workplace Violence

Unfortunately, workplace violence is a common reason for injury. In fact, OSHA reports that nearly 2 million Americans face workplace violence each year. Specific occupations are at a higher risk for workplace violence than other industries. Those occupations include visiting nurses, retail workers, taxi drivers, community workers, probation officers, and letter carriers.

Harmful Substance and Environment Exposure

Some work environments include harmful chemicals or substances that could cause long-term diseases in employees or other injuries such as burns, rashes, or internal injuries to throats or lungs. For example, some hazardous chemicals include asbestos, benzene, pesticides, lead, mercury, paint, solvents, acids, and more. Employees can be protected in some cases by the use of goggles, protective clothing, and proper ventilation.

Fire and Explosion Hazards

Hazards and injuries caused by fires or explosions caused more than $15.9 billion in losses to businesses. For employees, fires or explosions can cause a number of injuries, whether to lungs, brain, eyesight, or the heart. In some situations, the injuries can result in death.

Worker’s compensation sets out to aid employees who have been injured on the job, require medical treatment, and time off of work. All of these things can cause a number of extra expenses that the injured employee may not be ready to handle. Not every injury is eligible for worker’s compensation, but most are.

If you believe that your injury is eligible for worker’s compensation, reach out to us today and we can help you pursue your worker’s compensation claim. Talk to a lawyer today by emailing office@carrilloinjurylaw.com.

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