Anyone who has had to work a job where they depend on their employer and other employees every day, understands that if one person fails to do their job properly, the rest of the team suffers. Sometimes, when a poor decision is made, the employee who suffers does so because they’ve been physically injured.
A Decrepit Building
Emergency responders were called to a building in Fort Totten on October 13th, 2016, to rescue a Parks & Recreation employee who was seriously injured while working.
The worker, a man who has been with the department for years, was ordered to the site to clean the building which had been left sitting for decades. The order came from the Parks Department Health and Safety Director, who determined that the building was safe for employees to enter – even though she hadn’t actually visit the site. In her email, she simply said that employees were encouraged to take numerous breaks due to the presence of dead animals and feces.
When the employee arrived, he and his coworkers donned facial protection and special suiting when they found the feces were nearly ankle deep. They were walking through the first level when the floor collapsed beneath him and he fell below.
After being rushed to the hospital, it was found that he had sustained injuries to his neck and back. He has been referred to a neurologist for additional treatment because of suspected nerve damage. Doctors are also concerned that he may develop a serious infection due to the environment in which he was injured.
Nerve Damage – A Serious Injury
The body contains three different types of nerves:
- Autonomic Nerves
- Motor Nerves
- Sensory Nerves
If any of these are damaged, it can leave a patient with health issues that can impact the rest of their life. Symptoms include:
- An inability to feel pain entirely – including pain which would alert the patient to another health condition like a heart attack.
- Hyperhidrosis – a condition in where the patient sweats excessively
- Dizziness
- Bladder dysfunction
- Sexual dysfunction
- Constant dry eyes or mouth
- Paralysis
- Constant pain or burning
- Twitching
- Muscle atrophy
Any of these can prevent the injured employee from returning to work and activities that they enjoyed before the accident. So what happens to the employee if they can’t work?
Benefits That Can Be Claimed
Whenever a worker is injured on the job, typically they have the right to file a workers compensation claim. Through this claim, they can be provided with financial benefits including coverage for their medical expenses and a portion of their lost wages.
If the injury is permanent and the worker is unable to return to their job, it may be possible to obtain additional benefits through a Social Security Disability claim. This isn’t just for retired Americans as most believe, but the process of obtaining it is not simple. In fact, nearly 65% of all claims are denied at first and currently, there is a backlog of appeals, which means an appeal can take up to 17 months.
In many cases, the employee is stunned to find that their claim has been denied. There are a wide variety of reasons that a claim may be denied and correcting a mistake or filing an appeal can be time consuming and stressful. Speaking with a lawyer is highly recommended.
How Can I Afford A Lawyer?
It may seem impossible to afford an attorney to help you with filling out claim forms, fighting an incorrect payout, or handling an appeal, but that’s not true. In fact, not only is your first consultation free but we don’t get paid until you. Any fees, which we discuss with you before you decide to work with us, are taken out of the benefits that you recover through workers’ compensation or social security disability.