Workers’ Compensation for Hand Injuries in Fort Lauderdale: How To Protect Your Rights to Benefits
You reach for a tool, feed material into a machine, or brace yourself against a fall, and in that single moment, everything changes. Work-related hand injuries in Fort Lauderdale happen quickly, heal slowly, and can affect you both on the job and in your daily life for a long time afterward.
Hand injuries are among the most functionally disabling workplace injuries a person can suffer. Our experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyer explains common types of injuries that qualify and how to protect your rights in a claim.
Hand Injuries That Qualify for Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Fort Lauderdale
According to the National Safety Council, nearly 240,000 people throughout the U.S. suffer work-related hand injuries each year, making them one of the most frequently reported injuries. In Fort Lauderdale, construction workers, warehouse employees, kitchen staff, and manufacturing workers face high risks.
Under Section 440.13 of the Florida Statutes, workers’ compensation can help cover resulting losses. Common hand injuries among Fort Lauderdale workers that may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits include:
- Crush injuries and fractures from heavy equipment, machinery, or materials.
- Lacerations and puncture wounds from power tools, saws, blades, and sharp materials.
- Tendon and ligament damage from a sudden impact, awkward grip, or being caught in moving equipment.
- Nerve damage following a traumatic workplace incident.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injuries developing from sustained tool operation, assembly work, or keyboard use over time.
Hand injuries often require ongoing treatment and can leave you unable to work for weeks or months afterward. Fortunately, benefits available through the Florida Division of Workers’ Compensation can help cover your costs.
Protecting Your Hand Injury Claim in Fort Lauderdale
Florida workers’ compensation benefits can help cover your medical care, lost earnings, and any long-term impairments that result from work-related hand injuries in Fort Lauderdale. However, insurers are quick to deny or dispute these claims. To protect your right to benefits, take these steps:
- Report any hand injury immediately to your employer, even if it initially seems minor enough to manage without medical care.
- For repetitive stress conditions, start documenting the connection between your symptoms and your job duties as soon as you notice a consistent pattern.
- Tell your authorized treating physician the exact nature of your work, the tools or motions involved, and how long you have been performing those tasks.
- Continue getting follow-up care and follow your doctor’s recommendations regarding work restrictions.
Keep copies of your medical records and all correspondence with the insurer, and get professional legal help if your benefits are denied or delayed.
Hand Injuries on the Job? Contact an Experienced Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Work-related hand injuries in South Florida are common and can impact workers for long afterward. Our experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyer provides the trusted legal guidance you need to get your benefits. To request a consultation at our Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale, or West Palm Beach office, contact The Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A., today.
Sources:
injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/industry-incidence-rates/work-injuries-and-illnesses-by-part-of-body/
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/Sections/0440.13.html