On-the-job injuries can happen for all kinds of reasons, from tripping or slipping on a surface and ultimately falling to being involved in a motor vehicle collision while making a delivery for work. Generally speaking, as long as an injury arises out of and occurs in the course of your employment, you can be eligible to seek workers’ compensation coverage in Florida. Lifting injuries are one type of injury that are extremely common in various types of workplaces and in many industries, and they can be debilitating. While you might not immediately think that a lifting injury could be as debilitating or disabling as another type of injury, it is essential to know that these injuries can indeed be serious. Our Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyers have more information about lifting injuries and what you need to do in order to seek compensation.
Understanding Lifting Injuries
What are lifting injuries? In short, when a worker lifts a heavy object on the job, or lifts something with an improper technique, that worker can suffer a serious injury. According to Ohio State University (OSU), the most common body part injured by improper lifting is the back. As OSU explains, back injuries caused by improper lifting are most likely to be serious when a worker does one of the following:
- Bends from the waist to pick something up;
- Lifts a box or another object from the chest; or
- Twists their body to lift or carry a heavy object.
In addition to back injuries, workers can suffer shoulder, arm, neck, and other types of injuries, as well. What can workers do to avoid lifting injuries? OSU recommends following safe lifting guidelines, which include the following:
- Ensure that you have a firm grip on anything you are lifting before you lift;
- Be sure that your footing is secure and that you are balanced before you lift anything at worker;
- Always use a proper lifting position and technique, which means lifting “with your knees and legs, not with your back”;
- Hold anything you have lifting firmly to your body so that you do not put additional pressure on your back;
- Lift objects slowly and smoothly;
- Avoid any kind of twisting motion when you are lifting or carrying an object; and
- If you need to push or pull an object or load, it is better to push than to pull (in terms of the strain that pushing or pulling can put on your back).
Seeking Workers’ Compensation Coverage After a Lifting Injury
Following a lifting injury at work, report the injury to your employer as soon as possible, recognizing that you must report within 30 days. Then see an approved doctor as quickly as possible.
Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Workers’ Compensation Attorneys for Assistance
Anyone who has suffered an injury on the job as a result of lifting heavy objects, or while lifting in general, should get in touch with an experienced Fort Lauderdale workers’ compensation lawyer at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld, P.A. who can help you. Our firm has years of experience representing injured workers, and we can provide you with more information about the workers’ compensation system more broadly and can also provide you with direct assistance with your individual claim. Do not hesitate to get in touch with us.
Sources:
ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/aex-7908
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0400-0499/0440/0440.html
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