What To Do When There’s a Workplace Injury or Death

It isn’t pleasant to think about, but death and injuries in the workplace are a reality, even in our modern world. This might be things that have to do with dangerous work sites or heavy machinery. However, injuries and deaths can also happen even in office workplaces due to things like slips and falls.

In the immediate aftermath of death and injuries in the workplace, the concern is, of course, on health and healing, both physical and emotional. Unfortunately, the harsh reality will intrude sooner rather than later. You might even have to face paying medical costs, finding funeral homes, and other logistics related to the injury. There will be concerns you need to address and things you need to do to look after yourself and your family in the aftermath of such an event.

Here, we will discuss some of what you can expect when death and injuries in the workplace impact your life and some things you can do to make this difficult time a little less harrowing.

What Are the Most Common Types of Workplace Injuries?

There are many types of injuries people might encounter in the workplace. By being aware of the most common ones, you may be able to avoid some terrible circumstance.

The most common type of injury of all is a slip, trip or fall. These kinds of injuries are very common. Nearly as common are muscle strains, which could happen even in a corporate office. Next is falling objects, followed by strains from repetitive motions.

Farther down the list are crashes, collisions, cuts and lacerations. A scary possibly that comes next is the inhalation of toxic fumes. Next is exposure to loud noise, falling by walking into objects. The last of the top ten are fights that occur at a workplace.

Obviously, many of these injuries fall under the umbrella of mere accidents. Accident or no, however, these situations are often things that warrant a conversation with a work injury lawyer. We will discuss lawyers more later, but keep in mind that if you or a loved one experiences death and injuries in the workplace, you can be compensated for your time and pain.

What Are the Consequences of Workplace Injuries?

Obviously, because there is such a wide range of types of workplace accidents, there is also a wide range of consequences. A workplace injury might be extremely minor, but it could also result in someone’s death.

However, those are not the only two outcomes. There is a lot in between those two outcomes, including things like lifelong disability. A single workplace injury could haunt someone for the rest of their life if it results in a disability.

Many people do live with their disabilities, whether they occurred at work or elsewhere. In countries where people tend to live past 70-years-old, the average person spends about 8 years, or 11.5% of their lifetime, living with some sort of disability. This sounds like a dire statistic, but it goes to show that even if you suffer a disability as a result of a workplace injury, you can go on to live a fulfilling life.

What If You Need Surgery?

One of the more dire results of death and injuries in the workplace is an injury severe enough that you or a loved one has to get surgery. There are many different types of surgery, some much more serious and intense than others. The costs, physical experiences and recovery times will vary depending on the type of surgery that is required. Let’s look at a few common types of surgeries related to injures so you can know what you might be facing.

Surgery for Head, Neck, Face and Jaw Injuries

Maxillofacial surgery refers to surgeries related to head, neck, face, and jaw injuries. If, for example, there was a collision at work, someone could suffer a persistent neck injury. Or they could lose a tooth from that kind of impact.

Maxillofacial surgery can address some of those sorts of issues and repair damage not just to the bone but also to the soft tissue around the head. These types of surgeons often have some amount of dental training as part of the medical schooling.

Because of the emphasis on dentistry, it probably comes as no surprise that this type of surgeon can also provide services related to reconstructive dentistry. This is not a merely aesthetic concern. Missing or damaged teeth can have serious impacts on someone. There is no need to go on suffering or think that this kind of surgery is a cosmetic one that will not be covered. It can, in fact, get covered as part of a settlement (see our section about attorneys below). It will depend on the specifics of the circumstances and the impact on the injured person’s life.

This kind of surgery can also treat things like tumors and cysts around the jaw and mouth and dental implants.

Surgery for Bones

If something falls on someone while they are at work, they could break a bone. Broken bones might also result from things like collisions, falls or even fights.

When it comes to broken bones, surgery is only required when the bone isn’t going to heal correctly on its own. Casts and splints are preferable whenever possible. With a serious enough injury, however, a surgeon may need to go in and set bones.

Another type of bone surgery is bone graft surgery. This is the process of using transplanted bone to repair damaged bone. This is a highly specialized type of surgery, necessary in some extreme circumstances.

Surgery for Muscles

There are even some types of surgery that is tailored for muscle injuries. Muscle injuries can significantly impair someone after death and injuries in the workplace leave lasting damage. Surgery should be a last resort, but it can dramatically improve outcomes for someone who has suffered an injury to muscles while at work.

A big culprit for muscle-related injuries is equipment. Everything from office chairs to heavy machinery can take a toll on the user’s body. Many workplace injuries are muscle injuries that relate to operating equipment.

A great way to avoid needing surgery for muscles is to take an active part in safety equipment rental if it is required for your work. A more ergonomic chair or piece of equipment now can save your muscles a lot of pain and injury down the road. It may even prevent you from needing surgery for an injury at work. In dire circumstances, safe equipment can head off death and injuries in the workplace.

5 Types of Lawyers Who Can Help with Workplace Injuries or Deaths

There are nearly as many types of lawyers as there are types of workplace injuries. Here are just four to help you narrow down your search if you need legal representation related to death and injuries in the workplace that you or a loved one have suffered.

Having legal representation can lessen your bills after an injury or death and ensure your rights are honored in the wake of an accident or tragedy. It’s important you get due recompense for an accident that has occurred at a place of business.

1. Attorneys for Slips, Falls and Trips

Slips, falls and trips are the most common types of workplace injuries, so it only makes sense that we start here. When death and injuries in the workplace are the result of slips, falls and trips, the injured party, or their family, does have a right to be compensated.

A slip and fall injury attorney can help you get the maximum possible settlement from the company where the injury occurred. On average, these types of lawyers can get between $15,000 and $45,000 in recompense for victims of death and injuries in the workplace that result from trips, falls and slips.

The actual settlement you see will depend on the specific circumstances of the injury or death. Some injuries are relatively minor and therefore get a smaller settlement. In more severe cases, a settlement could exceed that $45,000 average figure.

2. Attorneys for Disabilities Resulting from Workplace Injuries

As we mentioned above, something death and injuries in the workplace result in lifelong disabilities for someone involved in the incident. This is where a disabilities claims attorney could help with compensation.

No matter what the circumstances surrounding a disability claim, having an attorney on your side can ensure you get a larger payout. Those filing claims with an attorney or advocate representing them are more likely overall to get their claim processed and approved.

This type of attorney can help navigate you through the Social Security disability claims process after death and injuries in the workplace. It is crucial to have this advocate working with you so you can get a larger claim.

Payment for this type of attorney comes from the claim itself. A disability claims attorney will typically take a percentage of the claim itself, but only after it is approved. So you won’t need to worry about paying this type of attorney until you are already getting your award.

3. Attorneys for Wrongful Deaths

It’s not a happy scenario to think about, but sometimes a workplace accident can result in someone’s death. As tough a time as this is for that person’s family and loved ones, they shouldn’t go uncompensated. That is doubly true if it’s any kind of wrongful death.

A wrongful death attorney can help when there are death and injuries in the workplace that came about as the result of negligence of the wrongful act of another party. This includes things like fatal traffic accidents, negligence, and medical malpractice, among other things. It is not always a criminal matter, as a wrongful death could still be a matter of negligence.

If you have a loved one who died in the workplace, you may want to contact this type of attorney. They can help you assess the viability of your case. Plus, in some U.S. states, only an attorney can file a wrongful death lawsuit. So not only shouldn’t you go it alone, but in many cases you can’t.

If a wrongful death lawsuit is successful, there are multiple kinds of compensation that could result. This might include money for medical expenses and compensation from the workplace itself. Medical expenses can include rehabilitation costs, prescriptions, tests, surgeries, or anything else that was required at the time. There could even be compensated for lost time at work.

A wrongful death attorney can be especially important if the deceased had any children. Death and injuries in the workplace can have ripple effects felt throughout the family, and that includes things like inheritances. A lawyer can ensure the family of the deceased is fully compensated in every possible way after a tragedy.

4. Attorneys for Construction Accidents

One of the most common workplaces where death and injuries in the workplace occur is construction sites. That’s no secret. The dangerous conditions and presence of heavy machinery is well known.

Fortunately, there are lawyers who specialize specifically in things that occur at construction sites. A construction accident attorney can help you in the aftermath of a death or injury. You might have a lot of sudden bills and complications to navigate. You don’t want to tangle with the legal system on top of all your other worries.

This type of attorney excels at getting compensation for victims of accidents that occur at or on construction sites. The types of benefits will vary depending on the type of injury. However, it also matters where you live. Different states will have different rules and legal guidance for when and how companies are liable for injuries on the job.

No matter what route you take, hopefully, if there is a death or injuries in the workplace, you can get the best possible outcome by getting the help of a relevant attorney. A large reward can help ease some of the heavy burden you and your family may be facing right now. Seek out the help of an expert to navigate complicated parts of the legal system. It will be well worth your time in the end if you can get a larger claim or settlement from a workplace where an injury occurred.