Work-Related Crush Injury Compensation

It’s no secret there are dangerous jobs in the world, and that those dangerous jobs are the ones with heavy equipment and intense manual labor. Whether it be construction, engineering, or even some forms of food service, the profession you use to make a living can also threaten your life. Of course, it doesn’t have to kill you to still be dangerous. There’s an unfortunately wide array of injuries different job-related accidents can cause, and it’s important to be aware of them and what to do if they happen to you.

If you’re a construction worker, one of the many injuries you’re in danger of is a crush injury.  When a body part is crushed, usually between two heavy objects, you can suffer serious injuries such as:

• Bleeding
• Severe bruising/internal bleeding
• Nerve damage
• Open wounds
• Broken bones
• Infection of the wound
• Compartment syndrome, which happens if the area of injury is crushed for a long period (e.g., the affected body part is trapped and compressed until rescue)

Compartment syndrome is considered the most severe form of crush injury, as it usually ends in the nerves of the limb dying entirely, thus making amputation a necessity. Depending on how long the limb is trapped and the nature of the injury in general, you could also require surgery to rebuild or replace any crushed bone, along with extensive physical therapy to regain use of the injured limb. Aside from the physical trauma of such an event, the mental trauma can cause lifelong PTSD, depression, and grief that’s been compared to the loss of a spouse (in cases of amputation). Whatever the nature of your crush injury, you’ll still need medical attention and financial assistance, and if it occurred on the job, you should be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

Getting work injury compensation

Luckily, the law is on your side. In the state of Illinois, workers can collect work-loss benefits without needing to prove any sort of fault. This means even if you misread instructions that led to your injury, you can still be compensated. The amount and type of compensation you receive is contingent upon the severity of your injury and the medical treatment necessary for you to recover from it.

Most crush injuries will be classified as partial permanent disability. This means you are permanently disabled from your injury in some way, but not so much as to prevent you from working entirely. It may mean you’re unable to do the same job as before but are able to perform other tasks after rehabilitation. Generally, you would be are entitled to receive two-thirds of your lost wages up to a predetermined time, depending on the nature of the disability in question.

Additionally, workers injured on site at work are usually also entitled to payment of all reasonable medical bills, including for surgery, prescriptions, doctor visits, and disability aids. And, if you are unable to continue performing the same job as before, you will be entitled to receive training for a different position that better suits your change in ability.

This is not an exhaustive list of possible compensation. If there is a loss of limb or other disfigurement, there may be other benefits you’re entitled to receive, and if you’re the family of a deceased worker who was killed on the job, you will likely be entitled to any death benefits available. You might also have the right to file a wrongful death suit.

Anything can happen, and no one is invincible. In a bustling city like Chicago, construction workers are in dangerous situations every day they’re working and could find themselves at risk of serious injury or worse. If you’re a construction worker who has suffered a crush injury, you need an experienced Chicago workers’ compensation attorney to ensure you receive the benefits and compensation you deserve, while also ensuring you’re not forced back to work before you’re ready. At Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers, we advocate for you. Find out more by calling us at 312-600-9585 or contacting us today.