Healthcare & Hospital Workers: Common On-the-Job Injuries

If you were injured in a workplace accident or are involved in a dispute about the workers’ compensation you rightly deserve, you need experienced legal support and guidance. At the law firm of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we help clients in and around Seaford, Wilmington and Newark who have suffered injury at work secure the benefits owed to them.

Healthcare workers perform some of the most vital work in the country. We associate nurses, doctors, technicians, and everyone in the industry with health and wellness, but rarely think about the dangers related to their jobs. However, hospitals are one of the most hazardous places to work. In 2014, hospital workers suffered an estimated 294,000 work-related illnesses and injuries.

Work in the healthcare industry can be extremely demanding and risky, and encompasses a wide variety of jobs—from home care worker to nurse to phlebotomist—all with their particular hazards. Workers’ compensation is designed to protect these workers in the event they are injured while performing their jobs.

What causes so many injuries?

Even with all the different jobs in the healthcare industry, there are some common causes and risks for injury and illness. They include factors like:

• Every day at a hospital or clinic is different. Workers can’t predict how patients will behave or how they will react to surprise situations where they must keep their patients safe.
• Exposure to toxins. Healthcare workers are exposed every day to blood, bodily fluids, and infectious disease. If conditions are unsanitary, contamination and illness can occur.
• Patients with limited mobility. Many workers deal with patients with limited mobility; i.e. wheelchairs or gurneys. Some patients need assistance getting in and out of bed. Neck and back injuries are common when working with these patients every day.
• Sharp objects. Hospitals and healthcare facilities are full of needles, scalpels, and other sharp tools. Cuts and sticks can easily occur.
• Slip and falls. With hospitals come hazardous and biological materials, spills, and cleanups. Accidents and slips are common. Wires from equipment may also cause tripping hazards.

What types of injuries are common to healthcare workers?

All of these hazards result in many injuries, but the following tend to be most common.

• Broken bones or head injuries from slips, trips, or falls
• Injuries from violent or unstable patients
• Sickness and infections from pathogens
• Blood-borne infectious disease
• Sprains and strains
• Back and neck injuries
• Lacerations
• Needle stick injuries
• Repetitive stress injuries

If you sustain an injury on the job, whether it’s sudden or happens over time, you deserve compensation. You should not be responsible for your medical bills and, if your injury causes you to miss work, workers’ compensation assists with partial wages.

Our Delaware workers’ compensation attorneys know what it takes to build a successful claim. If you were injured at work, the legal team at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman can address all of your questions and concerns. We work with clients in Wilmington, Seaford, and Newark. Call 302-888-2900 or fill out our contact form today.