People who get hurt at work usually want to return to their job as soon as possible. Broken bones, sprains and lacerations can temporarily affect job performance. Once workers receive treatment, they can return to work as usual.
Workers’ compensation benefits help pay for treatment costs. They can also provide financial support. Disability benefits help cover someone’s lost wages when they cannot work due to a job injury. In some cases, workers only need temporary disability benefits. However, some people may need to forever change their careers. Others must stop working decades early because of work injuries.
What kinds of work injuries could lead to permanent job challenges?
Brain injuries
Workers can hurt their brains in a variety of ways. Explosions can cause powerful blasts that lead to brain injuries. People can fall and strike their heads or get into car crashes while working. Brain injuries cause many different types of symptoms. People may have memory issues or cognitive challenges. They may develop motor control issues or problems with balance. Brain injuries can force people to stop working. Other times, workers have to accept lower-paid work because of a brain injury.
Amputations
Workplace incidents can lead to traumatic amputation. A car crash or issue with a piece of manufacturing equipment could lead to the loss of a body part. Other times, severe trauma might force medical professionals to amputate an injured body part. Amputations have major consequences. Workers lose functional ability. They may also have long-term symptoms, including phantom limb pain. Amputations can be incredibly expensive and difficult to overcome.
Spinal cord injury
Trauma to the head, neck or back could potentially damage the spinal cord. Every spinal cord injury is different. Some people have complete injuries. They may never regain function below the injury site. Other people have incomplete injuries that may cause impairments. In both cases, a spinal cord injury can affect what job functions someone can perform. It may affect their independent living ability. Workers with catastrophic injuries may have massive medical bills. They could also have substantial employment setbacks to address.
Filing a workers’ compensation claim could help people minimize the consequences of a work injury. Those who recognize the impact of severe injuries may feel more confident about taking action after getting hurt.