SAN DIEGO HEALTHCARE INJURIES WORKERS’ COMPENSATION CLAIMS
Doctors, nurses, paramedics and other medical professionals are responsible for keeping our healthcare system running smoothly. They work long hours caring for the sick and injured, and many even put themselves in danger to protect their patients. Hospitals in particular place employees at risk for a job-related accident, given the inherent occupational hazards and unpredictable environment.
At the Law Office of Matthew Russell, we represent healthcare workers who become injured or ill on the job in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, and other medical institutions. Hospital work can be surprisingly dangerous, and caregivers may be eligible to file for workers’ compensation for their job-related injuries. The following are just a few of the types of healthcare workers we help.
WHAT HEALTHCARE WORKERS DO WE REPRESENT?
-Dental hygienists
-Nurses
-EMT/paramedics
-Dietitians
-Pharmacists
-Physical therapists
-Nursing home aides
-Medical assistants
-Occupational therapists
-Physicians
-Surgeons
-Hospice aides
WHAT ARE HEALTHCARE INJURIES THAT QUALIFY FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION?
Healthcare workers are exposed to a wide range of occupational hazards, including needles, fluid contamination, radioactive material and other dangerous substances. They can also be injured when lifting and moving a patient, or in an altercation with a violent visitor. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is more hazardous to work in a hospital than in construction or manufacturing in terms of “days away from work” injury rates.
The most common injuries in healthcare jobs include:
1/Sprains and strains, which are often due to overexertion, including lifting, bending, reaching, or slipping without falling.
2/Back injuries, most often resulting from patient handling. Manual lifting or re-positioning patients without assistance can cause chronic back pain.
3/Infections due to needle sticks that spread diseases such as HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis B or C, and infections due to airborne pathogens.
4/Bone breaks and fractures due to workplace violence. Healthcare workers are at a high risk for being assaulted by agitated patients and visitors.
5/Head injury, such as a concussion or even a traumatic brain injury, as a result of being struck with an object or slipping and falling.
6/Bone breaks and fractures due to workplace violence. Healthcare workers are at a high risk for being assaulted by agitated patients and visitors.
7/Head injury, such as a concussion or even a traumatic brain injury, as a result of being struck with an object or slipping and falling.
WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOLLOWING A HEALTHCARE ACCIDENT?
In the past few years, NPR has done several reports on the problems healthcare workers face when trying to collect workers’ compensation following an accident. Many hospitals refuse to acknowledge their employees’ injuries as work-related and pull every trick in the book to try to deny responsibility. Some healthcare facilities have even gone as far as to terminate these employees, deeming them “no longer fit to work.” Not only is this news devastating to the injured worker, but it’s also illegal on the employer’s part. This is where a San Diego workers’ compensation attorney becomes invaluable.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LAWYERS FOR HEALTHCARE INJURIES
If you work in healthcare, caring for others isn’t just a job ? it’s part of who you are. Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals feel an ethical duty to “do no harm” to patients and often put others’ well being before their own. After an accident, many healthcare workers have difficulty accepting the role of the patient, even when continuing to work puts them at risk for injuring themselves further.
If you’ve been hurt on the job in a healthcare accident, it’s important to contact a San Diego workers’ compensation attorney who can help you collect the benefits you deserve. At the Law Office of Matthew Russell, we’ve helped hundreds of injured healthcare employees get the benefits they need following an accident at work. We have years of specialized experience working with hospitals and their insurance companies, and we know exactly how to build your case so you can collect maximum benefits.
Contact us today by giving us a call at (619) 544-1506 to schedule your free initial consultation.