Head Injuries in Maryland Workplaces
Head trauma, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in particular, can occur in various types of work environments in Maryland. In professions and industries where employees are required to work from heights, such as in construction work or maintenance work, head injuries can be especially common. Brain injuries can also happen somewhat regularly in work where employees are at risk of slips and falls or motor vehicle collisions as part of their work duties, such as in grocery stores or in warehousing and transportation. When head injuries happen on the job, it may be possible to obtain workers’ compensation benefits and, in some instances, to file a third-party civil lawsuit for additional compensation.
Learning About Traumatic Brain Injuries in the Workplace
What are TBIs and how do they happen in workplaces in Maryland? As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains, TBIs can be mild (known as concussions), or they can be classified as moderate or severe. They can be closed-head injuries that result from a violent jolt or blow to the head, or they can be open wounds in which an object pierces the brain or skull. Some common causes of these injuries in workplaces include the following, for example:
- Falls from heights, such as falls from roofs or scaffolding;
- Slips, trips, and falls;
- Struck-by accidents, especially when objects fall and strike a person’s head from a height;
- Motor vehicle collisions; and
- Caught-between or struck-by accidents in which a worker is caught between heavy machinery or struck by heavy machinery.
What Types of Jobs Put Workers at Risk of Brain Injuries and Head Trauma?
According to the CDC, certain jobs put employees at higher risk of TBIs, and these are the types of jobs in which head trauma is most common:
- Construction work;
- Professional drivers;
- Emergency responders;
- Professional athletes;
- Warehouse workers;
- Miners;
- Machinists;
- Agricultural workers; and
- Loggers.
How to Seek Compensation for a Work-Related Brain Injury in Maryland
In order to seek workers’ compensation benefits, you should reach out to a workers’ compensation lawyer in Maryland who can help you to prove that your case meets the requirements for benefits. In Maryland, to be eligible for workers’ compensation, you will need to show that your injury arose out of and occurred in the course of employment.
Contact a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Attorney for Assistance with your Job-Related Brain Injury Claim
Brain injuries and head trauma can occur in nearly any type of profession due to slips and falls, and some professions pose more significant risks than others. If you slipped and fell on the job, or if you fell from a roof or scaffolding while working on a construction site and sustained a head injury, or if you sustained a TBI in a traffic collision while driving as part of your job, you may be able to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. One of the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can discuss the details of your injury with you today and can begin working with you on a claim for compensation. Contact our firm to learn more about how we can assist you.
Source:
cdc.gov/traumatic-brain-injury/data-research/facts-stats/tbi-in-the-workplace.html