Just about everyone has experienced some kind of minor mishap at work that left them with a paper cut, a sore thumb, a stubbed toe, or something else that typically clears up after no more than a few days. Sometimes, though, injuries at work are much too severe for just basic first aid to handle. They may not only require intensive medical care but also prevent you from working and living your normal life for months at a time.
Fortunately, so long as you jump through the right procedural hoops and get the medical care you need, virtually every injury you suffer at work that is serious enough to need professional medical care will qualify you for benefits through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage. Here are some examples of common workplace injuries in Reno that an attorney from Shook & Stone could help you construct a strong workers’ comp claim around.
Dealing With Acute Work-Related Injuries
Most workplace injuries that wind up justifying workers’ comp claims in Reno are acute injuries, which means they happen suddenly and all at once from a single traumatic accident. Soft-tissue damage is the most common form for this kind of injury to take—for example, a pulled muscle in your back from trying to lift something too heavy by yourself or a sprained ankle from a fall over an unmarked ice patch or unorganized clutter in a warehouse aisle.
Some types of workplace accidents, though, can result in more serious injuries like:
- Broken bones
- Crushed fingers or limbs
- Damage to the eyes or ears that results in permanent loss of vision or hearing
In extreme cases, malfunctioning heavy machinery or unexpected shifts of heavy objects may cause trauma so severe that it leads to a limb being amputated, permanent internal organ damage, or paralysis caused by a spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury.
What Kinds of Chronic Injuries Can Happen at Work?
In addition to acute workplace injuries like the ones described above, it is also possible to build a workers’ comp claim in Reno around a chronic injury—in other words, one that builds up slowly over time. These are also sometimes referred to as repetitive stress injuries, since they most commonly stem from someone performing the same motion repeatedly as part of their daily job tasks—like pulling a lever, lifting a heavy object, or even typing on a keyboard.
If you can prove they came directly from your working conditions, injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, long-term back pain, joint problems, and sometimes even arthritis could qualify you for workers’ comp coverage. A legal professional from Shook & Stone may also be able to help you build a claim around a chronic work-related illness, like emphysema caused by consistently inhaling smoke and other toxic gases on the job.
Learn More About Common Workplace Injuries from a Reno Attorney
Of course, even if you know exactly what common or uncommon injury you have suffered in your Reno workplace, you have a long road ahead of you before you can start receiving workers’ comp benefits for it. In fact, between the various procedural pitfalls you may run into and the opposition you might from your employer’s insurance provider, you may wind up getting no benefits at all if you try to pursue your claim alone.
Fortunately, you do not have to fight for your rights alone if you seek help from our knowledgeable workers’ comp lawyers here at Shook & Stone. Call today to set up a free consultation and learn more about how we could help you.
