Top Three Causes of Work-Related Head Injuries

Every year, job-related head injuries cause victims to miss tens of thousands of work days. Other work-related injuries usually heal, given time and treatment. But brain injuries are permanent. However, a combination of surgery and therapy eases the symptoms.

So, these wounds require substantial treatment. Fortunately, substantial compensation is also available. This compensation usually includes lost wage replacement and medical bill payment. If the permanent disability is severe enough, a lump sum payment might be available.

Although this compensation is available, insurance companies do not simply give it away. A Jackson workers’ compensation attorney must take it. That’s because the workers’ compensation system in Mississippi is stacked against victims. Claims Examiners routinely deny claims, and appeals judges are hard to sway to your side.

Fall

Either a fall from a height or a slip-and-fall could cause a head injury, especially if the victim has a pre-existing condition.

Many construction bosses cut corners when it comes to worker safety. So, construction, renovation, and demolition workers often risk such injuries. A fall from as little as two stories up could cause a permanent brain injury.

Slip-and-fall work injuries are very common in the retail sector. These victims face the same hazards that customers face. Black ice is a good example. There are very few ice storms in Mississippi. So, many employers do not know how to deal with icy patches. Translucent black ice forms faster than white ice. It’s also slicker and harder to see.

Struck By Object

There is an old story that a penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building is fatal to a pedestrian. That story is false, mostly because the penny would flutter down instead of dropping straight down. However, the penny could be more than enough to cause a serious head injury.

Most people do not get hit with pennies. But they do get hit by hammers and other tools which someone above them drops.

Many people are surprised to learn that landscaping workers face the most serious risk of a head injury. Heavy tree limbs and other such objects are big enough to dent a skull, especially since most landscaping workers do not wear helmets.

Motor Vehicle Crash

Vehicle collisions are the leading cause of head injuries. These incidents combine all three head injury causes, which are:

• Noise: The loud, explosion-like noise which a car wreck makes triggers shock waves which disrupt brain functions.
• Trauma: Air bags and other restraint systems can only absorb so much force. So, these victims often hit their heads on dashboards and other solid objects. Furthermore, in high-speed wrecks, cell phones and other small objects essentially become high-speed missiles.
• Motion: The violent movement of a car wreck causes the brain to slam repeatedly against the insides of the skull.

Many motor vehicle collisions, specifically pedestrian injuries, occur at busy construction sites. Typically, operators with little experience operate very heavy vehicles as people walk almost directly past them. Other motor vehicle crashes occur out on the road, when people are running errands for their bosses or doing other work-related things.

Work with a Savvy Attorney

Head injuries are among the most serious, and most common, job-related injuries. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Jackson, contact Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. Home, virtual, and hospital visits are available.

Resource:

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30829642/