One of the most potentially dangerous places to work is a warehouse. According to national statistics, there are more than 145,000 people who work in warehouses in this country. Warehouse workers have a much higher rate of fatalities and injuries than other occupations.
With all the machinery, merchandise, forklifts, and noises, it is no surprise all of the different types of serious injuries warehouse workers can suffer. Many of these injuries end up causing long-term or permanent damages, such as back pain and hearing loss.
Anyone who has suffered an injury as a result of working in a warehouse should contact a Milwaukee WI work injury lawyer for assistance in pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation covers all of the medical expenses the injury as causes, as well as the wages the employee is losing as they recover.
Although almost every injured worker is entitled to these benefits for job-related injury or illness, it is very common for employers and insurance companies to try to deny a claim or limit the benefits the injured worker receives. An attorney can assist in overcoming those issues.
What are common warehouse injuries?
The most common warehouse injuries that often result in workers’ compensation claims include:
- Failure to follow lockout or tagout procedures
- Forklift accidents
- Improper use or failure to use personal protective equipment
- Poor fire safety procedures
- Repetitive stress or motion injuries
- Stacking products
Although there are many pieces of equipment which present dangers to workers, there are two that are the most common causes of injuries, forklifts and conveyors. Forklifts are responsible for approximately 100,000 injuries every year. Even experienced drivers can end up being fatally injured by a forklift. Conveyors pose several types of risks to workers. Items falling off the conveyor can crush or injure different parts of the body. Fingers or hands can get caught in the conveyor which can result in crushing or amputation. Another common conveyor injury is repetitive stress or motion injury which happens because a worker performs the same movement over and over again.
One of the most dangerous places in a warehouse is the loading dock area. Not only do the forklifts pose a high risk, as mentioned above, but many workers also suffer serious to severe injuries from falls. Many loading docks are several feet from the ground and injuries from these types of accidents can include back injuries, brain injuries, fractured bones, soft tissue damage, or spinal cord injury.
Many victims of loading dock falls end up suffering from chronic pain that can cause a severe deterioration of the quality of life for the victim. Unfortunately, workers’ compensation claims involving chronic pain can be complex and hard to prove, especially if there is no visible injury like a broken bone. Retaining the services of a workers’ compensation attorney can make a difference in whether or not the injury claim will be successful.
Thank you to our friends and contributors at Hickey & Turim, S.C. for their knowledge about work injury laws.