If you work in a factory, you probably perform repetitive movements each day. It’s possible to develop issues with the nerves of the hand, wrist and arm as a result of those repetitive actions. While many people jump to considering carpal tunnel syndrome when they have numbness or tingling in the arms, it’s possible that you could actually have pronator syndrome. What is pronator syndrome? Pronator syndrome describes a number of symptoms that are caused when the median nerve is entrapped at the elbow. This nerve runs the length of the arm and into the fingers. Like carpal tunnel, this syndrome ..read more

Falls can lead to serious injuries, which is why they should not be ignored. The risk of a fall can usually be minimized by helping workers understand the hazards in the workplace and how to mitigate them. Employers have a responsibility to enforce good safety protocols, like wearing fall-arrest gear when required, to make sure employees stay as safe as possible. Unfortunately, falls aren’t uncommon among those in the U.S. workforce. In 15.6% of all cases of injury in Missouri reported on the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, falls were the cause. The Occupational Safety and Healt ..read more

On-the-job injuries sometimes occur during shocking workplace accidents. A piece of equipment overturns or a worker makes a major mistake, resulting in someone suffering significant injuries. When a worker suffers a head trauma, broken bone or spinal cord injury on the job, the situation that leads to the injury is often an incident with extensive internal records. However, many people get hurt on the job not because of some unexpected accident but through performing the same tasks daily for years. Workers can find themselves dealing with pain and functional limitations if they develop a repet ..read more

Most workers who get hurt while on the job will only require minimal medical assistance. Often, a worker who suffers a laceration or a blow to the head may need to leave for the rest of their shift but will then be back to full functionality the following day. Occasionally, a worker will have injuries that persist for longer than a single day, requiring temporary disability benefits. In extreme cases, a worker who can no longer continue working after an injury may require permanent total disability benefits. Sometimes, a worker can go back to work but can’t do the same job anymore. These emplo ..read more

Certain jobs have more obvious, immediate risks for physical injury than others. A construction worker could fall from scaffolding, or an industrial employee could get their arm caught in a machine press. People who work in fields with strong associations with traumatic injuries often receive better pay than people in less risky positions. However, the truth is that every job comes with risks. An office worker could suffer an electrical shock while using a fax machine with a wiring issue. A fast-food worker could face an act of violence from someone trying to rob the restaurant where they work ..read more

Everything you do comes with a certain amount of risk. You could get into a crash any time that you go for a car ride. You could choke on your breakfast or receive a contaminated prescription drug from your pharmacist. Risks are everywhere, and you can’t live your life expecting danger around every corner or avoiding anything that could potentially injure you. Instead, you can make strategic decisions to limit your personal risk. Choosing not to drive right after the bars closed for the night could be a form of harm reduction. So could learning about the risks you have at work so that you can ..read more

People working in construction and other industries may be asked to wear hard hats as their personal protective equipment. This PPE is important because it protects them against falling items and blows to the head. Hard hats are supposed to be used whenever there is a potential for injuries to the head due to falling objects or electrical shock. Interestingly, many of these helmets do protect against electrocution. Other hard hats are designed for specialties by adding lighting or face shield, visors or earmuffs. It’s important to use the correct hard had for the workplace you’re in. When shou ..read more

Whether you got hurt on the job or developed a work-acquired medical condition, you probably expected workers’ compensation to protect you. The benefits could pay for your medical care and also replace some of the wages you can’t earn right now. Unfortunately, the path to workers’ compensation benefits is not always a straight line. Sometimes, workers who should receive benefits end up facing a denial of their claim instead of an approval. Either their employer or the insurance company involved might try to keep you from medical coverage or disability benefits. You don’t have to accept an unfa ..read more

For decades, numerous industries have worked toward automating certain tasks that might prove too repetitive or dangerous for human workers. From contact with toxic materials to repeatedly lifting heavy objects, a robotic workforce is often designed to reduce threats. Unfortunately, it is likely that automation might introduce as many injury types as are prevented. An automated workforce relies on robotic parts and acute computer programming. Mechanical failures or faulty programming can lead to catastrophic injuries, including crush injuries, pinch injuries, shock injuries or chemical spray i ..read more

All these years, you have prided yourself on your independence and self-reliance. But, sometimes, you need more than these qualities when seeking workers’ compensation benefits. A workplace injury brings an abrupt halt to the world as you knew it. You know that you deserve and likely qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. But the process of obtaining those benefits seems confusing. When seeking these important benefits that will help pay for your medical bills and lost wages, you should understand that this is not the time to go it alone. An experienced attorney in workers’ compensation m ..read more