Common North Carolina Workers' Compensation Injuries
Government statisticians and insurance companies spend millions of dollars each year to catalogue workers’ compensation injuries in North Carolina and elsewhere across the US.
Such injuries fall loosely into four major classes:
1) Traumatic or acute accidents
Examples of injuries that could lead to a North Carolina workers’ compensation claim might include:
• A construction worker gets hit by a falling beam while inspecting a site.
• A pizza delivery worker breaks her collarbone in an auto accident on the way to a customer’s house.
• A postal service worker slips and falls on icy steps and shatters his coccyx.
• A dog catcher gets a finger bitten off by an angry pug.
Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) afflict millions of workers – particularly office employees and assembly line workers. Examples of this class of injury might include:
• A secretary gets carpal tunnel syndrome after typing dictation rapidly for her boss.
• A hairstylist hurts his hands after scissoring 12 hours a day for three years.
• A pianist adopts a lazy technique and as a result gets thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS).
3) Occupationally specific injuries
Certain occupations expose workers to very specific types of hazards. For instance:
• A painter gets sick after inhaling aromatic compounds, like benzene.
• A landscape artist gets electrocuted after attempting to move a live power line with faulty equipment.
• A farmer gets flu from one of his chickens.
4) Psychologically-induced injuries
Stresses at work – including verbal abuse, loud noises, and harassment – can cause physiological problems. For instance:
• An airline worker who works on the tarmac develops post traumatic stress syndrome from hearing jet engines launch all day.
• An assistant at a fashion company develops depression and stomach problems after getting yelled at repeatedly by her bosses.
• A medical resident suffers sleep deprivation and high cortisol levels.
For more information about North Carolina workers’ compensation categories and statistics, connect with a solid, reputable attorney who practices in the state.
