Workplace injuries are relatively common, with some being more serious than others. They are much more frequent in high-risk industries, such as the construction and nuclear industries. However, they can occur anywhere, at any time.
Although common, it’s important to take an injury in the workplace seriously. You might need to take action against the person responsible for the injury if it wasn’t caused by a freak accident.
You might have had a workplace injury yourself in the past. Perhaps you’ve slipped on a wet floor or tripped on the stairs. Maybe you’ve been injured by a falling object in the warehouse, slipped on a wet floor sign on the shop floor, or tripped on the stairs in the office.
Defining a Personal Injury
Accidents in the workplace might lead to grazes and bruises but don’t leave any lasting effects or psychological trauma. Most of us have probably bumped ourselves at work, laughed it off, and given no further thought to it!
Personal injuries, on the other hand, are defined as an injury to the physical body or mind. Such an injury may lead to legal action and a court case against the person or people believed to be responsible for the injury or trauma.
If you’re in an accident at work that leads to serious or ongoing injuries or psychological trauma, you may be in a position to take legal action. If you believe that a person or group of people have caused your injuries, one of the Lamber Goodnow Injury Lawyers can help you to file a legal claim against them.
Your personal injury lawyer will work closely with you to determine exactly what caused the injuries and who is responsible. They will represent you in a court of law if necessary. Should you win a personal injury claim, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries, trauma, and financial losses if you’ve been unable to work after the incident.
What Are the Most Common Personal Injuries in Workplace?
Some injuries are caused by freak accidents where nobody is truly to blame, while others are completely preventable. Below, we’re going to cover some of the most common causes of personal injuries in the workplace.
Slips and falls
Slip and fall incidents are one of the most common causes of personal injury lawsuits by far. No matter what industry you work in or where your workplace is located, there is always a risk of slipping and falling over.
Every workplace is busy, and people are rushing around to get their tasks done. This increases the risk of slip and fall accidents that aren’t any one person’s fault. However, in some cases, a slip-and-fall incident is completely preventable.
For example, your employer may have failed to lay down safe and secure flooring, and it causes you to slip over and injure yourself. The cleaner might have wiped the floors and failed to put down a ‘wet floor’ sign. If you find yourself with an injury due to these situations, you could be in a position to file against your employer or the cleaner.
Falling from a great height
For obvious reasons, injuries caused by falling from high heights are more common on construction sites than in any other workplace area. However, there are several jobs that require workouts to reach great heights.
For example, tree surgeons, decorators, window cleaners, and gardeners may need to climb tall ladders. This carries a high risk of falling.
Falling from a great height can be caused by a freak accident if a worker loses balance. However, in many cases, such falls result from a lack of adequate safety gear or faulty equipment.
If your employer fails to provide properly-tested equipment or adequate safety gear on the job and you take a fall, you can file a personal injury claim against them. For this, you’ll need to contact a personal injury attorney who can help you to build a strong case and represent you in court.
Repetitive muscle strain
Repetitive muscle strains and injuries occur from constant repetitive movements of certain joints and muscles. This type of injury can be easily fixed, but if the same respective behaviors persist, it can cause permanent issues and chronic pain.
Common situations that increase the risk of repetitive muscle strains include jobs that involve typing, sewing, writing, or folding. So, if you’re a medical secretary, a warehouse packer or labeler, or a writer, you’re more likely to suffer from such injuries.
Although the primary cause of repetitive muscle strains is repetitive movement, which isn’t always avoidable, the risk can be reduced with proper equipment.
Your employer should provide you with high-quality equipment, such as ergonomic keyboards, mice, and office chairs, to reduce your risk of injury. They should also offer adequate training, so you know how to properly use equipment in the workplace.
Fatigue
Employers can often start to overwork their employees when consumer and client demands increase. While it’s okay for your employer to set targets and expectations for your role, they should not be setting you an unachievable amount of work to complete each week.
If your employer is pushing you to work too many hours or complete too many tasks in a short amount of time, it can increase the risk of accidents and injuries. Being overworked and fatigued makes you more likely to make errors at work that could lead to injuries in some cases. And that’s not to mention the detrimental impacts of long-term work-related stress on mental health and emotional health.
If you suffer from an injury at work and you believe that it’s due to your employer’s unrealistic expectations causing you to feel drained and make mistakes, take action. Contact a personal injury attorney to see if your case warrants legal action against your employer.
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