Workplace injuries are an unfortunate and inescapable reality for many workers across dramatically different occupations. Though it is comforting to imagine that you will be one of the lucky employees who will not sustain an injury that requires medical attention, this is quite possibly a case of wishful thinking. The statistics indicate that approximately 30 % of the workforce will become temporarily or permanently disabled before they reach retirement age and if you fall into that category, then your family may be subject to significant emotional and financial distress. In the case of spinal cord injuries, it can feel as if your whole identity is taken from you.
Unlike most other injuries that one might suffer in the workplace, spinal cord injuries do not typically heal in a manner that restores full functionality. Extensive rehabilitation and treatment can lead to a partial recovery of control and function in some cases, but other spinal cord injury victims do not share in that good fortune. Regardless, however, if you sustain such harm in the workplace then you will be well served to seek workers‘ compensation benefits and/or Social Security Disability benefits as appropriate to the severity of your unique case.
How SCIs Occur and What Happens Next
The spinal cord houses the connections that transmit electrical signals from the brain to the nerves and vice versa. Any injury has the potential to compromise this vital function, and when there is any interruption of these transmissions all systems that are below the vertebral placement of the injury are likely to be affected. Common causes of SCIs in the workplace or associated with the performance of work related tasks include:
* Slip and Fall Accidents
* Automobile Accidents
* Crush Injuries Due to Falling Objects
* Physical Assault
Though the physical trauma associated with SCIs is frequently substantial, the emotional toll that they can take on an individual and his or her family is often greater. Severe instances can leave one unable to perform the most basic physical tasks which can in turn lead to a loss of independence and intense self-esteem problems. Moreover, it can greatly jeopardize one’s ability to work. Common effects of spinal cord injuries are:
* Paraplegia
* Quadriplegia
* Loss of Sensation
* Reduced Motor Control
* Incontinence
* Loss of Independent Breathing Function
Legal Help
The process of filing for workers‘ compensation can be confusing, and any mistakes can lead to lengthy delays of your benefits. To reduce the likelihood that you will be faced with unnecessary hassles, contact the Raleigh workers’ compensation lawyers of Scudder & Hedrick, P.L.L.C.
Joseph Devine
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