Construction Accidents and Hand and Finger Injuries
The injuries sustained during workplace injuries can be severe. Work injuries sustained in construction accidents can be especially catastrophic, causing long-term disability and possibly resulting in death. That is why the Oklahoma City, OK injury lawyers of Tawwater Law Firm take these kinds of accidents so seriously. We will help injury victims with workers’ compensation claims as well as lawsuits against their employers in the case of unsafe work environments.
Hand injuries at work make up 23 percent of all injuries reported to the United States Department of Labor. Given their frequency, we want to look at the impact of hand and finger injuries and what legal options may be available to you.
Statistics on Hand and Finger Injuries
According to numbers from the National Safety Council (NSC), there are more than 1 million hand injuries in the United States in a given year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found that hand injuries were the second most common kind of work injury, trailing behind lower back injuries.
The Cost of Hand and Finger Injuries
The NSC estimates that the cost of a finger or hand injury can range anywhere from $540 to $26,000 per patient. This gives you and idea of how much the severity of an injury can vary, and the price of getting proper care.
Injuries to the hands typically result in a person losing around five days of work to recuperate. Injuries to the wrist, however, typically result in an employee losing about 15 days of work.
The Importance of Gloves and Hand Protection
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) estimates that 70 percent of all hand injuries could have been prevented if proper hand protected was worn at the time of the incident. These numbers are backed up by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which estimates that 70.9 percent of hand injuries could have been avoided if personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety gloves were worn.
We should also note that 30 percent of hand injuries are the result of employees not wearing the right kind of gloves for the job.
This is an important reminder to everyone woking in manual labor and other strenuous fields to wear all proper protective gear that is recommended while on the job.
Types of Injuries That Occur
There are numerous kinds of hand injuries that might occur at a workplace. This includes the following:
- Crushed hands and fingers
- Cuts and punctures
- Burns
- Electrocution
These kinds of injuries may be the result of equipment malfunctions, falling objects, compression between objects, electrical errors at a worksite, and inattentive co-workers.
Long-Term Impact of Hand and Finger Injuries
The long-term impact of a hand or finger injury can be severe. A relatively minor hand injury could mean changes in grip strength and reduced range of motion of the fingers. In more serious injuries, a person may lose their ability to bend a finger, lose the overall use of their hand, or may suffer the loss of finger(s). Amputation of the hand is another potential hazard for construction workers and industrial workplaces.
The NSC estimates that 20 percent of all disabling work injuries are the result of hand injuries, so keep that in mind.
How Our Attorneys Can Help
Our work injury lawyers will work tirelessly with you and for you following your injury. We can make sure you receive the workers’ compensation benefits you are owed, appeal any denials of workers’ compensation claims, and hold your workplace accountable if conditions were unsafe. We will be here to offer insight into your legal options every step of the way.
Contact Our Work Injury and Accident Lawyers
For more information about your legal options following a serious workplace incident, be sure to contact an experienced work injury and accident lawyer. The team at Tawwater Law Firm is here to help. You can reach us by phone at (405) 607-1400.
