In Connecticut and across the nation, work injuries are a common source of major medical expenses, lost wages and long-term problems. One industry that is known to place its workers at risk is the construction field. This is understandable given the inherent tasks that are needed to complete a project. For construction workers who are injured on the job, it is important to understand the obstacles they will likely face as they seek to return to full health and get back on the job. Workers’ compensation can help to cover all that was lost personally, physically and financially.
Lifting injuries rise near the top for construction injuries
While there is a perception that many construction injuries stem from items falling from overhead, accidents with tools, mistakes made by co-workers, weather-related mishaps and vehicle incidents, it may come as a surprise that lifting and pulling has vaulted near the top of injuries that cost the most in workers’ compensation. In a study from Liberty Mutual using its own claims from 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and other sources, it found that workers suffering injuries from physical exertion in pulling, pushing and lifting was second in cost at more than $2.2 billion.
The study – called the Workplace Safety Index 2021 – says that only injuries from falls came in higher at $3.56 billion. The previous study had pulling, pushing, and lifting injuries ranked third, accounting for more than 14% and costing $1.48 billion. Although construction injuries frequently happen because of workers falling to a lower level, the most basic acts of picking things up, moving them, and pushing them from here to there often cause injuries.
Workers’ comp can be essential to making ends meet and recovering
Any workplace injury can put a person and his or her family in desperate straits. Along with the medical expenses and lost time on the job, there is the uncertainty in not knowing whether it will be possible to return to the same type of job as before. That can make it necessary to be retrained. Injuries are not always broken bones, pulled muscles, cuts and bruises. They can extend to emotional and mental issues and illness due to toxic exposure. Filing for workers’ comp can be complicated. Often, claims are disputed or outright denied. Adhering to the requirements and addressing challenges as they come up is vital. From the start, having legal help in filing the claim and pursuing benefits is a wise step.
