Did you suffer a devastating injury in the workplace that left you with a loss of movement or feeling in part of your body? If you were paralyzed by your work injury, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Most Pennsylvania workers who suffer a paralyzing injury on the job can receive these benefits through their employer. Unfortunately, this process can be complex and challenging. You need a workers’ compensation attorney who can help you navigate the system and work to get you the full benefits you deserve.
For more than 20 years, the experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. have advocated for injured Pennsylvania workers who suffered paralyzing injuries. We understand that your road to recovery will be difficult and uncertain. You need a dependable counselor and significant resources to support you. Our team has recovered more than $221 million for injured workers and their families – and we will aggressively fight for your rights and interests as well.
Contact Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. today to learn how our Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyers can help you after a paralyzing work injury.
Types of Paralysis
There are several types of paralysis. Paralysis can be either complete or incomplete. Accident victims with complete paralysis cannot move or control their bodies below the level of injury. Those with incomplete paralysis may have limited feeling or motion below the level of injury.
Paralysis can also be localized – affecting just one specific area – or generalized –impacting a larger part of the body. There are several kinds of generalized paralysis depending on the location of the injury:
- Monoplegia – Paralysis of one limb, such as an arm or leg
- Hemiplegia – Paralysis of one side of the body
- Diplegia – Paralysis of the same area on both sides of the body, such as both arms or legs
- Paraplegia – Paralysis below the waist
- Quadriplegia – Paralysis from the neck down, affecting all four limbs
Common Causes of Paralysis in the Workplace
Injuries to the nervous system, specifically the spinal cord, are the primary cause of paralysis in the workplace. The following types of workplace accidents may result in a paralyzing injury:
- Slips, trips, and falls – According to studies, falls cause 25 percent of spinal cord injuries. Slips, trips, and falls can occur in any work environment but more frequently occur at construction sites, warehouses, factories, retail stores, and hospitals.
- Transportation accidents – Transportation accidents in the workplace are among the most common and deadly. Many workers – such as truck drivers, construction equipment operators, or delivery workers – must drive for their job. These miles on the road put them at an increased risk of paralyzing injuries. Workers on job sites with large vehicles are also at risk of injury from getting hit by those vehicles.
- Heavy machinery accidents – Workers that utilize heavy machinery – such as forklifts, tractors, compactors, loaders, and excavators – are at higher risk of paralysis. Paralyzing injuries could occur from machine malfunctions, inadequate safety procedures, poor training, or distracted operators.
- Strikes from objects – Falling or flying objects can cause paralyzing injuries when they hit workers and damage their nervous system.
- Pinned or crushed accidents – Workers who get pinned or crushed on the job could suffer a paralyzing injury. Pinned or crushed injuries could occur in construction, factory, or transportation accidents.
Workers Most Likely to Suffer a Paralyzing Injury
The following workers are most likely to suffer a paralyzing injury in Pennsylvania:
- Construction workers
- Delivery drivers
- Transportation workers
- Factory workers
- Warehouse workers
- Miners
- Healthcare workers
- Agricultural workers
Treatment for Paralysis and Its Cost
You might not know how long or costly your treatment might be immediately after a paralyzing work injury. At Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C., we have workers’ compensation attorneys with significant experience in paralysis cases. That experience allows us to help you quantify the full extent of your treatment needs.
Depending on the extent and location of your paralyzing injury, you may need some of the following common treatments:
- Physical therapy – Physical therapy can help maintain muscle strength, prevent muscle wasting, and improve range of motion. Physical therapists can also help patients learn new ways of moving the body.
- Occupational therapy – Occupational therapy helps patients regain skills needed for daily living, such as dressing and bathing. It can also teach patients to use assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, voice-activated technology, or prosthetics.
- Medication – Doctors may prescribe medications to manage pain or treat secondary conditions like spasticity.
- Surgery – Doctors may recommend surgery to relieve pressure on the nerves or spinal cord, repair damaged nerves, or treat secondary conditions resulting from paralysis.
- Experimental treatments – Scientists continue experimenting with novel treatments, such as electrical stimulation. In the future, these treatments may offer a better quality of life for patients with paralysis.
- Counseling and mental health services – Living with paralysis can be physically, mentally, and emotionally challenging. Counseling services can help patients cope with the full impact of paralysis on their life, family, and happiness.
Unfortunately, these treatments can also be quite expensive. And if you can’t work because of your injuries, the bills may be stacking up. To help with these losses, you may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim for your paralysis.
Can I Get Workers’ Compensation After a Paralyzing Injury at Work?
Most Pennsylvania workers can receive workers’ compensation benefits after a paralyzing work injury. The Workers’ Compensation Act requires almost all employers to maintain workers’ compensation insurance for their employees, including full-time and part-time employees and family members. However, the law does exempt certain types of employees.
Workers’ compensation benefits are available to employees who get injured at work, regardless of who is responsible for the accident. These benefits include the following:
- Cost of medical treatment
- Wage-loss benefits when the injured employee cannot work
- Specific loss benefits if the injured employee loses the permanent use of certain body parts
To receive your workers’ compensation for paralysis after a work injury, you must follow several procedural steps and meet specific deadlines. A workers’ compensation attorney at Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. can step in immediately after your injury and handle your claim through each step in the process. That way, you can focus on your recovery while our workers’ comp lawyers focus on getting you the benefits you deserve.
Paralyzed as a result of a Work Injury? Talk to a Skilled Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Pennsylvania Today
If a work injury left you paralyzed, the workers’ compensation lawyers at Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. can help you secure the benefits you deserve. Ideally, your employer will step up and do the right thing. Unfortunately, after two decades of representing injured workers in Pennsylvania, we have seen far too many employers try to avoid their responsibility for injured employees. We will not let them do that to you.
Contact Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C. today for a free consultation with an experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyer.
