Crush Injury Lawyers

What Are the Common Causes for Crush Injuries?

Crushing injuries are considered one of the most common types of incidents that occur in the workplace. According to the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), caught-in / between accidents are considered one of the “fatal four.”

Some of the more common ways in which crush injuries occur include:

• Being buried by equipment
• Machinery malfunctions
• Being pulled into equipment or machinery
• Scaffolding collapses
• Equipment malfunctions or defects
• Being pinned in between machinery or equipment
• Being crushed by a shifting or rolling object
• Being a part of a trench collapse or excavation accident

Improper training on how to use the equipment often leads to crush injuries. Crush injuries can also occur when employers fail to provide their employees with the necessary safety equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE).

What Types of Injuries Result from Being Crushed?

Crush injuries are often fatal. Those who survive will likely deal with severe catastrophic injuries and lasting consequences. Some examples of the types of injuries that occur in crush accidents include:

• Amputation
• Nerve damage
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Herniated discs
• Back injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Multiple compound fractures
• Broken bones
• Organ failure
• Internal bleeding
• Compartment syndrome
• Muscle damage

You Might Have Suffered Crush Syndrome

Another common risk to keep in mind after a crushing accident is a condition known as crush syndrome. Also commonly referred to as Bywaters’ Syndrome or rhabdomyolysis, crush syndrome happens when the skeletal muscle is compressed and rapidly starts to deteriorate.

The cells in the muscle begin to die, and the sodium and calcium channels open, which allows these fluids to release into damaged tissue layers. Crush syndrome has the potential to cause severe seizures, renal failure, and death. Some of the signs of crush syndrome include muscle weakness, chronic pain, brown urine, prolonged immobility, and seizures.

It is not unusual for victims of crush accidents to wind up with a permanent loss of function, mobility, or even succumb to fatal injuries.

What Damages Could You Recover?

You have the right to pursue compensation for your losses if someone’s negligence caused your damages. Examples of the economic damages and non-economic damages that could be paid out in your crush injury claim include:

• Chronic pain
• Physical emotional trauma and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of function
• Physical disability or impairment
• Disfigurement and skin scarring
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium
• Current and future healthcare costs
• Loss of income and benefits from your employer, such as 401(k) contributions or health insurance coverage
• Property damages
• Diminished earning potential

How Can You Recover Compensation for Your Damages?

There are multiple ways you may be able to recover the compensation you deserve for your losses. However, there are many factors that will impact your rights.

To start, you may have the right to seek compensation through your employer’s workers’ comp insurance provider. However, not all states require employers to purchase workers’ comp coverage, and Texas is one of them. If your employer does not carry workers’ comp, you may instead have the opportunity to file a non-subscriber claim, which allows you to recover for all the ways your injuries have impacted your life.

Get Help From a Crush Injury Lawyer Today

When you’ve been injured in a work-related accident, there are multiple ways to access the compensation you deserve. Make sure you have a reputable crush injury attorney at Kemmy Law Firm on your side so you can explore your options.

Find out what your next steps should be when you contact our team for a no-cost, risk-free consultation. You can reach us through our quick contact form or by phone at (844) 334–4388 to get started today.