How Personal Injury Law Can Help Nurses?
Health care workers play the most crucial role in the most effective manner. Without them it is barely possible to maintain the public health standard effectively. The growing population, the baby boomers, and the young age group – all are dependent on the healthcare professionals. But what about those people who work 24*7 to take care of us. What if they are hurt at their work place? They can also be injured at the workplace. If so they can hire personal injury lawyer.
Injury Types
Overexertion - The health care professionals can grow musculoskeletal disorders than any other workers.
Needle Stick – The healthcare professionals frequently use needles and other sharp medical instruments that can cut or injure them.
Violence – The healthcare professionals are open to violence by the family and friends of the patient. They are also at the risk if violent criminals are admitted at the nursing homes.
Slip and Fall – Water or other liquid spilled on the floor can make them fall.
Understaffing – Many nursing homes are understaffed due to unavailability of trained people, budget constraints etc. Understaffing make those people exposed to workplace injuries.
Common Workplace Injuries
Here are the common injury examples that the healthcare professionals suffer the most.
Sprains and Strains – The nurses and other people working in the healthcare sector suffer from the strains and sprain the most especially in shoulders and lower back.
Slipped Disc – The discs are the fleshy tissues that act as the cushion in the spinal bones. While transferring patients, lifting them or handling heavy medical equipment they hurt the discs.
Bloodborne Infectious Disease – Being exposed to needle sticks used on different patients they often get bloodborne infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis B.
Infections – Being open to bodily liquids or fluids like mucus or other airborne pathogens, nurses often get infections.
Broken bones – Fractures are often cause by workplace violence.
Head injuries – head injuries can take place from slip and fall and also from violence.
Options for Injured/Hurt Healthcare Professionals
If you are injured at the workplace being a healthcare professional, you must seek workplace compensation. Here are the options -
Workers’ Compensation – The healthcare employees should get the workers’ compensation insurance. Employers must abide by to give this compensation to the workers’ as per the Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Code. This program makes most of the healthcare professionals eligible for compensation. It covers the medical treatment cost, lost wages due to injury, death benefit if someone dies because of workplace injuries. The compensation amount depends on the injury severity and duration of the illness.
Personal Injury Lawsuit – When you are eligible to get the compensation for w workplace injury, despite the fact your employers rejects your claim, you can file a lawsuit. You can hire a personal injury lawyer for it. If someone else is responsible for the injury, you can also file a lawsuit against that person. You must prove that the individual has caused intentional injuries to you or it was negligence. Contact us at The West Law Firm if you need justice.
** Disclaimer: The above article does not imply a relationship between attorney and client, nor is it legal advice.