Common Work Injuries
Work accidents cause a few common injuries, including the following:
Back Injuries
Back injuries are some of the most common injuries from work accidents. Workers can injure their backs in a few ways, including overexertion, hyperextension, and blunt impacts.
Examples of back injuries that can happen at work include:
- Muscle or tendon strains
- Ligament sprains
- Herniated discs
- Fractured vertebrae
The most serious injury is a fractured vertebra. Bone fragments from a broken vertebra can dislocate into the spinal canal. There, it can sever or compress the nerves of the spinal cord, causing temporary or permanent paralysis and loss of sensation.
Amputations
Any body part can be amputated in a workplace accident, but upper limb amputations may be more likely among people who work with their hands around machinery.
Burns
Burns happen when a physical or chemical reaction damages the skin. Any of the following hazards can cause workplace burns:
- Open flames
- Hot objects, liquids, vapors, or gases
- Caustic chemicals, such as acids, lye, or bleach
- Radioactive materials
- Electrical currents
Mild burns may heal within a few days or weeks. Severe burns may produce permanent scars and expose the accident victim to infections and other issues due to the loss of skin.
Are Employers Liable for Work Injuries?
Almost all Pennsylvania employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance. As part of the tradeoff for this guaranteed safety net, employers are immune from injury lawsuits by employees. Instead, injured workers can pursue third-party claims against any person or business other than the employer that contributed to the injury.
Who Is Liable for Workplace Injuries in Pennsylvania?
Third parties may be liable for workplace injuries caused by their negligent or wrongful conduct. To prove negligence, a Lancaster work injury lawyer from Atlee Hall will work to show that the other party breached a duty of care owed to you. The duty usually requires the other party to exercise reasonable caution, and the breach happens when they do something that exposes you to an unreasonable risk of injury or death.
Another theory for holding a party liable for your workplace injury is called strict liability. To win a case involving strict liability, your workplace injury lawyer only needs to prove the cause of your injury was under the control of the negligent party.
Examples of Third-Party Liability in Workplace Accidents
Workers who are injured by the negligence of someone other than their employer can pursue a third-party liability claim. For example, the following parties may bear liability for work-related injuries:
- Drivers who negligently cause a car accident that injures someone who drives for a living
- Property owners who negligently fail to remedy hazards on job sites where you work
- Other businesses at your workplace that negligently create a dangerous condition
Strict Liability
Strict liability in third-party cases only applies to certain types of claims, including product liability and dog bites. Specifically, you can pursue an injury claim under strict liability against:
- Owners of dogs that bite workers in unprovoked attacks
- Manufacturers of defective products that injure workers
- Manufacturers of toxic substances, like asbestos, that cause workers to develop diseases
These lists are not exhaustive. Anytime someone other than your employer injures you at work, you should consider speaking to a Lancaster work injury lawyer from Atlee Hall to discuss your legal options.
