Whenever people talk of workers’ compensation, they tend to imagine serious injuries in physically challenging work. Quite the contrary, individuals working in any industry or field may suffer injuries at work, which can be subject to workers’ compensation claims.
Workers’ compensation insurance is a type of coverage intended to assist employees in recovering from injuries they suffer during work. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 2.7 million nonfatal workplace-related injuries and illnesses in the private industry in 2020. Employers and employees should be aware of the most widespread workers’ compensation claims.
Workers’ Compensation Claims for Strains and Sprains
The tearing or straining of a tendon or muscle causes strain injuries. This may occur during wrong lifting procedures or handling of objects with an odd shape. The problem with such injuries is that they can be more problematic in terms of Workers’ Compensation, as the symptoms are less acute. When you can relate such symptoms as pain and swelling to a necessary task at work, it is advisable to report them. Sprains occur when a ligament is overstretched or permanently ruptured. More than 8% of the workers’ compensation claims include sprains.
Overstrain
It is the most widespread workers’ compensation claim. Overuse or overstrain occurs when an individual overstrains or overworks a muscle, joint, or slips off a disk due to overextension while lifting, pulling, pushing, or turning an object. Although it can occur in any occupation, it is particularly common in physically demanding fields like construction and medicine. These include Tendonitis, Arthritis, Nerve damage, Shoulder injuries, Back injuries, etc.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
Other injuries, such as sprains, contusions, and lacerations, can be suffered due to incidents entailed by slips, trips, and falls. A wet or uneven floor typically causes such injuries. It also has the potential to develop reaction injuries. Reaction injuries occur when you stop yourself from falling and injure the rest of your body instead, such as when you stumble and use your arm to prevent your body from hitting the ground, but scrape your arm in the meantime. If you have one, then you should find workers’ comp clinics near me quickly.
Severe Cuts and Lacerations
They usually happen in the food service industry and other industries that deal with the use of sharp objects regularly. Extensive cuts and lacerations can occur when an employee uses a tool that is in a poor state of maintenance or when the tool is misused. To reduce the chances of severe cuts and lacerations, employees are recommended to keep areas clean and ensure that equipment is not left unattended. Additionally, employers should actively replace or sharpen dull blades and machine components.
Accidents
Such injuries result from objects falling on an employee or when an employee falls into something, and can be covered under ordinary workers’ compensation claims. These injuries may occur in any workplace. In offices and retail stores, items may fall off high shelves and hit a worker. Machines or tools can injure an employee in a factory or on a construction site. A variety of injuries may be suffered by hitting or bumping into an object.
A more terrible and more modern addition to this list is workplace violence. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2012, in the US, showed that 375 workers were killed during shootings while at work. This figure applies to all US industries.
Machinery Accidents
One of the most risky and common workers’ comp claims is machinery accidents. These kinds of accidents are a result of equipment misuse or faulty machinery. These injuries are potentially dangerous and cause severe health problems and health expenses. To avoid accidents involving machinery, employers ought to offer appropriate training to use equipment and inspect the performance of the machine often.
Burns
Burns can be classified as a form of tissue damage that takes place when the skin, or the under skin, comes into contact with damaging substances like heat, chemicals, electricity, steam, sun rays, or radiation. Such injuries are relatively common and may range from mild to severe, depending on the cause and its severity.
Burns are frequent occurrences in the food services industry, and workers deal with hot surfaces, liquids that are boiling, and steam. Incidents of burn-related injuries are also very high in industries that frequently make use of strong chemicals. Moreover, burns may happen in the house because of accidents with smoking, so it is a standard safety issue in everyday life.
Conclusion
One of the most significant issues with workers’ compensation claims is ignorance of the procedure. Injury Clinics of Arizona provides solutions that can help employers and employees better understand the workers’ compensation claims process!
We treat both patients and employers and do not forget to offer the highest quality of service. Years of experience serving academic and research institutions, corporate healthcare, Fortune 500 companies, small governments, and local businesses support our high-quality service.
