Miami Accident Lawyer Blog
On November 29, a construction worker in Hillsboro Beach experienced a traumatic workplace accident and injury. The 44-year-old worker was injured at 1007 Hillsboro Mile around 10 a.m. He was working with an industrial auger, which is a tool used to bore holes into the ground. His right arm became trapped in the drill bit, and due to the force of the drill, the auger caused a complete amputation of his right arm below the shoulder, according to Broward Battalion Chief Michael Kane. The injured construction worker, whose name has not been released, was initially taken to Broward Health North. He was in stable condition. Due to the severity of the injury, he was quickly transferred to Broward Health in Fort Lauderdale. It is currently unknown whether physicians were able to reattach the worker’s arm.
If you or a loved one suffered an amputation at work, we recommend you speak with a Miami construction accident lawyer at Gerson & Schwartz P.A. If you or a loved one are covered by workers’ compensation insurance, then this may be your only avenue to medical coverage and wage benefits. However, if you are not covered with workers’ comp like you should be, or if a third-party from outside of your work is responsible for the incident, then you may have a third-party liability claim. We can help you pursue compensation outside of a workers’ comp claim. Contact us online or call (877) 475-2905.
The Risk of Workplace Amputation
About 30,000 traumatic amputations happen in the U.S. every year, according to ISHN Magazine. A traumatic amputation is one that occurs during an accident—it is not conducted by a physician in a surgical setting.One of the most common causes of traumatic amputations is workplace accidents, specifically factory and construction accidents. Agricultural, transportation, firearms, explosives, electrocutions, ring traction, and building and car door accidents are other common causes. Additionally, motor vehicle, industrial, and agricultural accidents are the three leading causes for medically necessary amputations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) keeps track of severe injuries in workplaces. It found that between January 2015 and September 2016, a time when new reporting requirements had gone into effect, 17,533 severe work-related injuries were reported by 29 states. This means that during that time, 27 workers per day suffered some of the most serious injuries possible, according to the National Employment Law Project. Of those injuries, 4,672 were amputations.
Did You or a Loved One Suffer a Work-Related Amputation?
Amputation is a severe and traumatic injury. It requires a great deal of medical care, whether your digit or limb is reattached or not. If you lose a digit or limb, you must not only heal from the injury, but learn to live life different. You have to relearn how to eat, dress, participate in your favorite hobbies, and work. If you were in the construction industry, you may have to look for a new job. Depending on your options, you may choose to work with a prosthetic limb, which can be difficult and painful to get used to. It also can be extremely expensive over the years.
If your limb was reattached, you are in for a long medical journey. It may take months of physical therapy to achieve as much sensation and function in the limb as possible. You may be out of work for a long period of time, and you could lose your job. Whatever your situation after a traumatic amputation, you are going to face a great deal of pain, distress, and expenses. By hiring an amputation injury lawyer from Gerson & Schwartz P.A., you have someone to fight hard for you to receive appropriate compensation for this injury. To talk with an experienced attorney about what we can do to help you after a construction accident amputation, contact us online or call (305) 371-6000.