Most Common Workplace Injuries

Workers in Georgia who are hurt on the job should be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. There is no requirement that an injured employee prove any violation of safety standards in order to obtain these benefits, which can cover the worker’s medical expenses and part of their lost wages.

However, employers and their insurers may delay or deny paying these benefits. When these disputes arise, it is important to contact a lawyer with experience in this complex area of the law.
For more than 50 years, the Mann Law Firm has assisted injured workers in Macon and across Middle Georgia. We can assist clients in a wide range of work injury cases.

• Sprains, strains and tears – Falls, sudden twists and blows to the body can cause these injuries. They affect the soft tissues of the body and can cause significant pain and limited mobility. Surgical treatment may be necessary.
• Bone fractures – These injuries can result from falls, falling objects, being crushed between objects or on-the-job traffic accidents.  Bone fractures typically require casts. They can take weeks or months to heal. In some cases, the bones do not fuse properly after a break. This can cause permanent impairment.
• Cuts and lacerations – Cuts and lacerations can leave workers scarred or disfigured. Plastic surgery may become necessary. Workers can experience significant pain.
• Amputations – The loss of a limb is especially common after crushing injuries, which can occur when a worker gets caught in a machine or trapped between two objects. While prosthetic limb technology has come a long way, the process of healing from amputation is long. Medical intervention can be very costly.
• Thermal burns/ heat injuries – Thermal burns can be caused by fire, scalding, steam, contact with hot objects, radiation or electrical injury. Burn injuries are one of the “fatal four” injuries estimated to cause three out of five deaths among construction workers.
• Chemical burns – These burns can happen when the skin comes into contact with irritants or toxins, including alkaline and acidic substances.  Chemicals can cause skin cell death, pain and scarring, among other serious health problems.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome – Workers who routinely complete the same tasks with their wrists and hands are at risk of CTS.  Manufacturers, assembly line workers and those who type on a daily basis are among the employees most likely to develop carpal tunnel. Surgical intervention can relieve the pain associated with this condition. However, in many cases, the condition cannot be cured.  
• Tendonitis – Tendonitis refers to irritation, inflammation and swelling of a tendon.  Since tendons connect muscle to bone, tendonitis can significantly limit mobility. It can also be highly painful.
• Soreness and pain, including back pain – Back pain and general body soreness have a myriad number of causes and can affect workers across many fields.  There is often no cure for back pain. Significant mobility limitations can result.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has listed all of the above illnesses and injuries among the most common medical problems that workers develop that force them to take time off.

In Georgia, an employee who has missed at least seven days of work due to his or her injury should be compensated for two-thirds of their average weekly wage up to a maximum limit set by state law. Ongoing disability benefits can provide income to employees who are temporarily or permanently unable to work due to the injury. Workers’ compensation also covers 100 percent of medical bills.

If you or a loved one has suffered one of these common workplace injuries, it is important that you speak with an attorney for help pursuing a claim for benefits.

The Mann Law Firm will protect your rights. Contact us today to speak with a lawyer who will be directly involved in your case, giving it the personal touch that it deserves.