Most people use their back more than any other part of their body when working, though some occupations put more strain on the back muscles and spine than others. The reality is that you can’t do anything without your back. You can’t stand, walk, bend, lift, or even sit at a desk without engaging your back in some way. Whether it is just holding you up or performing strenuous tasks, there is no arguing against the fact that your back and spine are essential to your everyday tasks, including your work. When a back injury takes you out of the game for any length of time, you are going to have to contend with medical expenses and lost wages. When the back injury involves a pulled or strained muscle, then this can be terribly painful and can even be temporarily disabling. When the back injury involves your spinal column, your vertebrae, your spinal discs, or your spinal cord, things can go from bad to worse quickly. Injuries to the spine are likely to require surgery, hospital stays, physical therapy, and pain medication to recover from. In the worst cases, they can result in irreversible paralysis.
Whether you end up being out of work for a short period of time or whether you end up permanently disabled, you’re going to need the benefits of Greenville, South Carolina, workers’ compensation coverage to address your medical expenses and lost wages. Today, we’ll look at the different types of back injuries that you could be affected by and how you may be able to get those benefits and compensation from your employer’s workers’ compensation policy and third party claims.
The Various Common Back Injuries that Lead to Greenville, South Carolina, Workers’ Comp Claims
Back injuries are among the most common of work injuries in Greenville, South Carolina workers’ compensation claims. They can occur because of activities that require you to lift, pull, bend, or maneuver. They can also happen because of serious accidents, like falls and auto accidents that are related to your job duties. You might pull a muscle, strain your tendons, tear your ligaments, or sprain any of these parts of your back. More severe injuries involve damage to your spinal discs, such as a ruptured or herniated disc that could require surgical treatment. Finally, the most serious and life-altering back injuries are those that cause severe damage to your spinal cord. These are the injuries that could leave you entirely or partially paralyzed for the rest of your life.
Greenville, South Carolina, Workers’ Compensation for Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries can cause paralysis or death. If someone you love has been killed through a work-related spinal cord injury, then you can file a workers’ compensation claim for death benefits. This will cover your loved one’s final medical expenses and their funeral and burial costs. You can also get benefits for their lost wages. Unfortunately, you cannot get compensation for the loss of companionship or the grief that you experience at your loved one’s passing.
If you are the victim of a spinal cord injury that results in paralysis, then Greenville, South Carolina, workers’ compensation benefits can address your lost wages, benefits for ongoing disability, and medical benefits to cover any surgical treatment, medical devices, medication, hospital stays, physical therapy, and other necessary treatments for your conditions. Many people are unaware that this also includes any mental healthcare treatment you require because of your injuries. Workers’ compensation usually doesn’t cover mental health conditions, but when they are related to a physical work injury, then treatments for conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder are covered.
There are different types of paralysis that you could suffer form with a work-related spinal cord injury. If you are paralyzed below the waist, then this is called paraplegia. If you are paralyzed below the neck, then this is called quadriplegia. If you are paralyzed on one side of your body, this is called hemiplegia. And if you are paralyzed in just one limb, then this is called monoplegia. Workers compensation benefits will cover the medical expenses and lost wages of any of these forms of paralysis if they result from a work-related back injury. You can also get long-term disability benefits.
When Work Related Back Injuries Also Involve Third Party Injury Claims in Greenville, South Carolina
Sometimes, a work-related back injury will also involve a third-party injury claim. This happens when someone who is not related to your employer is also liable for the injury. For example, if you are in a work-related auto accident, then you will have a workers’ compensation claim, but you may also have a third-party car accident claim against any negligent drivers who may have caused the accident. If you are injured by a defective product, such a machine, that you use at work, then this could result in both a Greenville, South Carolina, workers’ compensation claim and a third-party product liability claim. These are just a few examples. If you do have a third party claim, then you could recover compensation for things that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover. For instance, you could get compensation for your pain and suffering and your psychological trauma.
The Greenville, SC, Workers’ Compensation Attorneys at the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm Can Help
Whether you have a minor, moderate, or severe back injury, the Greenville, South Carolina, workers’ compensation attorneys at the Dan Pruitt Injury Law Firm are here to help you get the compensation that you deserve. We will help you to evaluate the damage and whether or not you have a third party injury claim, as well. While you are recovering from a back injury, the challenging process of getting the workers’ compensation benefits that you need and deserve does not have to rest on your shoulders alone. If you have lost a loved one to a work-related spinal cord injury, then you shouldn’t have to struggle with the workers’ compensation process alone in the midst of your grief. Contact our workers’ compensation attorneys for a free consultation and find out how we can help.