No one wants them, but they happen anyway. Whether as a result of misfortune, carelessness, or a bad working environment, work-related injuries occur, and they usually come when you least expect them.
While the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) has helped prevent work-related injuries, saving thousands of lives by improving workplace safety and health conditions, many individuals remain at serious risk of injury or death because of unsafe jobs. This comes from Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, a report by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, a voluntary federation of 55 national and international labor unions.
If Lady Luck is not on your side and you suffer a work-related injury in North Carolina, can you file a case even if your injury isn’t bad? What are your chances of winning? It all depends on the circumstances and the type of injury you have.
Types of injury
You don’t have to be run over by a train or hit by debris from an orbiting satellite to experience personal injury. This is a legal term that applies to an injury to the body, mind, or emotions. It may refer to any of the following:
- Accidental injury – This physical injury is caused by an unexpected or unlooked toward event. Examples of accidental injuries are slips and falls, being struck by an object, or falling from a height to name a few.
- Occupational diseases – This comes from exposure to a workplace environment that may cause health problems. Examples include repetitive work that causes carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, bursitis and other ailments, but also certain cancers from exposure to carcinogens.
- Mental stress injury – In this case, the injury is a debilitating psychological condition triggered by situations in the workplace or other personal problems. In NC, these often need to be coupled with a physical injury, but not always. Under this category are depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and panic attacks.
Are you suffering from a recent injury? Do you want to know whether you can file a case against the person or company that injured you? Know your options by consulting a Board-Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist in North Carolina — Maggie Shankle of Shankle Law Firm, PA.
Maggie specializes in workers’ compensation cases, and also handles personal injury law and social security disability. She and her hardworking staff have been serving the entire state of North Carolina since 2008. Call Maggie at Shankle Law Firm today to learn if you’re entitled to financial compensation!