Crush injuries may happen during a brief period, but they can leave you with lasting damages that may never fully heal. You may find yourself unable to work, either temporarily or permanently, after suffering a crush injury. South Carolina law mandates that your employer carry workers’ compensation insurance, and that you receive benefits when you can show that your crush injury was job-related. For legal help with any workers’ compensation matters, get in touch with the experienced attorneys at Williams & Roche today.
What Is a Crush Injury?
A crush injury occurs when there is excessive pressure placed on certain parts of your body; said body part could be trapped between two firm objects or between one object and the ground. The amount of force and pressure on your body part could cause severe injuries, including:
- Bone fractures
- Cuts and lacerations
- Muscle damage
- Nerve damage
- Compartment syndrome
No matter what type of crush injury you have suffered, you should seek immediate medical help because the damage could be permanent.
Common Causes of Crush Injuries
There are numerous ways that you can suffer a crush injury at work. Common causes of crush injuries include:
- Being trapped under a falling object
- Getting an extremity caught in a piece of machinery
- Being run over by a machine or vehicle
- Prolonged immobilization of a certain body part
- Involvement in a caught-between accident
No matter the cause, a crush injury can be an extremely serious medical matter, and it could even put your life at risk in the short term.
What Is Most Affected By Crush Injuries
In the immediate short-term, the body part that has been crushed is at risk of amputation. In some cases, the injuries are so severe that doctors have no choice but to amputate the extremity. Otherwise, you could be left with a body part that does not function, and is a severe risk for infection.
You may suffer crush injuries to the following body parts:
- Arms
- Hands
- Fingers
- Legs
- Feet
- Toes
- Chest
Roughly three-quarters of crush injuries affect the lower extremities because those are the body parts that are most likely to be trapped.
What Is Compartment Syndrome?
One particular thing to be aware of is the possibility of compartment syndrome. The reason it is called compartment syndrome is that there can be an excessive amount of pressure that builds up in a muscle compartment. When that happens, the flow of blood can be drastically restricted.
Compartment syndrome can lead to serious muscle and nerve damage; if it happens suddenly, oxygen may not be able to freely reach the rest of your body. One may suffer permanent tissue death, and depending on which tissue dies, and the extent of the pressure, one’s life could even be in danger. Needless to say, acute compartment syndrome requires immediate medical attention, and in extreme cases, severe crush syndrome can even cause renal failure.
Medical Treatment of Crush Injuries
One of the main focuses for the short term is stabilizing your medical condition. Doctors need to be certain that you are not experiencing compartment syndrome, but if you are, they need to treat it immediately. In severe cases, doctors may even need to amputate the affected limb.
If you are able to keep the extremity, but have suffered long-term injuries, you may need the following medical treatment:
- Surgery to repair the damage to muscles and tendons
- Prescription medication to manage the pain
- Rehabilitation to help you regain as much strength as possible
- Plastic surgery or skin grafts to repair serious cosmetic damage
- Dialysis, if your kidneys have been damaged
Given the severity of your injuries, you may need extensive medical care in the future. Workers’ compensation insurance should cover the reasonable medical expenses associated with your injuries.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Crush Injuries
Your workers’ compensation benefits for crush injuries can be considerable, especially because of the high probability that you are permanently disabled. How much you may receive depends on both the body part that was injured and the extent of your disability. South Carolina publishes a chart that awards a certain number of weeks of benefits for injuries to particular body parts. Then, your compensation will be determined by the percentage of disability that you are assessed to have by a so-called independent medical doctor.
How much you may get depends on your case. You may need to fight to prove that you are more seriously disabled than the insurance company says you are. Our lawyers can negotiate a settlement agreement on your behalf that fully and fairly pays you what you deserve.
Why You Should Trust Williams & Roche to Handle Your Crush Injury Claim
While you may think that a crush injury workers’ compensation claim should be straightforward, you may face numerous issues during the life cycle of your claim. The insurance company may try to deny much-needed medical care, or your doctor may not even understand the scope and severity of your injury.
You may need to fight back, and when you do, you should hire the workers’ compensation attorneys at Williams & Roche. Our attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience, and we have been intimately involved in workers’ compensation litigation from practically all possible angles. When you know that you may need to file an appeal with a South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, you should turn to attorneys who actually have served as Commissioners. Additionally, our lawyers are very familiar with the games that insurance companies play because we have represented them as well.
Attorneys for Crush Injuries at Work in Columbia, SC
If you have suffered a crush injury on the job, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Reach out to the knowledgeable attorneys at Williams & Roche to discuss your case and learn how we can help you. Contact us via our website or call us today at 803.784.0503, and one of our attorneys can evaluate your case in a free initial consultation.
