There are many ways a worker could be injured while working. Each day workers throughout the state of North Carolina find themselves facing that reality. Some are hurt due to repetitive stress injuries. Others are injured due to falls. In occupations where large pieces of machinery are involved, workers may find themselves caught or parts of their bodies crushed. In still other situations, individuals are hurt when an object falls upon them.
The latter situation can arise in many different types of occupations including construction sites or tree cutters. Late last month a worker who was cutting trees in an effort to prevent an accident from happening due to them becoming entangled in power lines, was hurt when one of those trees fell upon him. The man survived the initial blow but despite efforts to save his life, sadly died at the hospital.
As this sad incident illustrates, falling objects can result in serious injuries to those involved. When a worker survives an incident such as this one it is likely that he or she will be dealing with serious injuries and face a long period of recovery, during which time it will be impossible to work. During this period of time the injured worker will continue to receive monthly bills as he or she did before the injury occurred. To assist injured workers with this, most employers in the state of North Carolina are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance.
Injured workers can apply for workers’ compensation benefits via a filing. The process to obtain these benefits can at times be complex. For that reason many find it helpful to work with a lawyer who handles such matters.
Source: WSOC TV, “Worker dies at hospital after tree falls on him in Burke Co.,” Feb. 27, 2013
