Have you suffered a broken or fractured bone in a workplace accident? Fractures are one of the most common work-related injuries. While they may heal in weeks or months, sometimes they lead to long-term impairment, chronic pain, and disability.
Goidel & Siegel has represented injured workers for more than 30 years. Our New York injury lawyers will assist you with your workers’ compensation claim and pursuing compensation through additional avenues.
Bones can break or fracture in many ways, some more serious than others. Any injury that breaks the continuity of the bone is considered a fracture. There is no difference between a fractured bone vs broken bone; these terms are interchangeable.
Bone fractures can be described as:
It is a common misconception that broken bones are not very serious, despite their painful and long recovery, and that bones “heal stronger.” The truth is fractures can lead to life-long complications and disability. Some fractures never heal despite the best treatment. Some fractures take a year or longer to heal, heal incorrectly, or lead to disabling complications.
Fractures are one of the most common workplace injuries. They may be the result of repetitive strain like heavy lifting, twisting a leg, a hard fall, or a serious accident involving heavy equipment. The following are the most common types of workplace accidents that cause bone fractures.
Falls are one of the leading causes of workplace injuries and fatalities. A fall to the same level or a fall from a height can result in many types of injuries, particularly fractures. The most common bones fractured in a fall include:
Car accidents are a frequent cause of work-related injury for delivery drivers, truck drivers, construction workers, and more. In addition to crashes involving cars or trucks, forklift accidents can also be responsible for serious fractures.
Broken bones may be the result of an accident in which a worker is hit by falling equipment or pushed against an object. These accidents often cause fractures of the skull, ribs, arms, or legs.
Accidents in which a worker is compressed or caught in or between objects are among the most serious. These accidents can include being caught in machinery or crushed by equipment. They tend to result in the most serious fractures that may be challenging to treat like compression fractures, open fractures, and segmented fractures.
Not all fractures require a single, acute injury. Many are the result of repetitive motion and strain. Repetition of certain tasks, frequent use of vibrating power tools, and long-term heavy lifting can cause stress fractures to the hands, wrists, feet, and vertebrae.
You may have multiple avenues to seek compensation for a broken bone you sustained in a workplace accident. You are most likely eligible for workers’ compensation which allows you to recover medical benefits to cover medical care for your injury and wage replacement or disability benefits.
Workers’ compensation does come with important limitations. Your disability benefits are capped and may not cover your full lost earnings. You cannot seek compensation for your non-economic losses like your pain and anguish.
You may be eligible for compensation through a third-party injury lawsuit. If your accident was caused by someone other than your employer, such as a negligent motorist or the manufacturer of a defective product, you can seek additional compensation. A third-party lawsuit can allow you to recover damages for your full lost earnings, pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, and more.
You may also have protection under New York Labor Law. A labor law claim may entitle you to additional compensation beyond workers’ compensation.
The experienced New York injury lawyers at Goidel & Siegel will help you pursue the full compensation you deserve after your accident. We can assist with filing your workers’ comp claim, appealing a denied claim, and pursuing third-party injury claims.
Contact our law office today for a free consultation with a New York workplace injury lawyer. Our multilingual attorneys can meet with you in our office, at your location, or during a virtual consultation.
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