Work-Related Hand Injuries Are Common
Injuries to the hands and fingers often occur at work, making them one of the most common – and most serious – work-related injuries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
And in many cases, injured workers are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits for their hand injury. Financial help and support can be critical for many injured workers. Without such help, they might not physically recover and can face financial hardships due to the significant financial toll of many hand-related injuries.
Hand injuries in the workplace
Each year, an estimated 1 million workers sustain an injury to the hand or fingers that require emergency medical care, according to BLS statistics cited by Occupational Health & Safety magazine. This is especially true for construction workers, who are at the highest risk of sustaining a work-related hand injury, according to Occupational Health & Safety.
Compared to other work-related injuries, hand injuries are the second most common reason why employees need to take time off for a work injury, according to Safety + Health magazine. The most common reason why is due to neck or back injuries.
Here’s another startling statistic – 23 percent of all work injuries involve injuries to the fingers or hands, making them “the most frequent preventable injuries” at work, according to the same Safety + Health magazine article.
The financial toll of hand injuries
Injuries to the hands and fingers sustained on the job aren’t just painful. They can take an enormous financial toll on injury victims. According to Occupational Health & Safety, the direct economic costs of specific hand injuries include:
- $2,000 for stitches to the hand or fingers.
- $10,000 for cuts (lacerations) to the hand.
- $70,000 for a severed tendon.
The financial toll can be even higher if your hand or finger injury requires surgery, an overnight stay in a hospital, or long-term medical care due to permanent damage to the hand. This is why it’s crucial to have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer handling your legal case and demanding the money you deserve.
Common work-related hand injuries
Work-related injuries involving the hands or fingers can cover a wide range. According to the Health & Safety Institute (HSI), the most common hand and finger injuries include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome and other types of nerve damage to the hand.
- Bone fractures or broken bones.
- Avulsion fracture. This occurs when the tendon moves in one direction, and the bone moves in the opposite direction, resulting in a broken bone in the hands or fingers.
- Cuts or lacerations to the hand or fingers.
- Hand amputation (loss of the hand).
- Abrasion injuries to the skin on the fingers or hands, including soft tissue damage.
- Burn injuries to the hand or fingers.
- The hand being crushed by a heavy object.
- A puncture wound caused by a sharp object puncturing the hand.
Common causes of work-related hand injuries
Work-related injuries to the hand or fingers often occur due to hazardous or unsafe working conditions. This can include:
- Employers not providing workers with safety equipment designed to prevent hand injuries. Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be as simple as protective gloves.
- Employers do not adequately train workers on how to safely use equipment, especially power tools or potentially-dangerous equipment.
- Unmarked hazards or poorly visible objects due to bad lighting result in a slip, trip, or fall accident that causes a hand injury.
- Not properly grounding electrical equipment results in a power surge that causes a severe hand injury.
Is this how your work-related hand injury occurred? Or are you dealing with a different situation? Whatever the circumstances, ensure you fully understand your legal rights. Make sure you talk to a workers’ compensation lawyer right away so you can weigh all your legal options.
How a workers’ compensation attorney can help you
When you have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer handling your hand injury claim, you can focus on what matters most – your recovery. That’s because your attorney can deal with all the red tape associated with complicated legal cases.
The workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl have the knowledge and experience you need to demand the compensation you deserve. We know what to do because we have been helping injured workers in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for decades.
Discover what we can do for you. Contact us and schedule a free case evaluation with a Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorney you can count on when it matters most. We have three offices conveniently located in Rhode Island and Massachusetts and handle workplace injury claims in both states.