Nursing Injuries

While doctors often get all the credit, nurses play a pivotal role in providing care. Whether it’s in the Emergency Room setting or in a primary care physician’s office, nurses do much of the work in making sure you get the attention you need. Sometimes, that attention involves doing the hard work. Whether it’s lifting a patient, cleaning a patient, or urgently responding to an emergency, nurses are vital to our medical facilities.

Unfortunately, nurses often get hurt.

There’s no limit to how a nurse can get hurt. But, there are injuries that we see more often than others.

• Patient Lifting Injuries: This is especially true for Certified Nursing Assistants, and Resident Nurses to a certain extent. While there has certainly been a trend to having machine’s help lift patients, the fact remains that hospital staff often have to help patients move, which often causes injury.
• Other Lifting Injuries: Even when patients aren’t what are being lifted, having to move objects often leads to nurse injuries
• Slips and Falls: There are often various fall prevention aspects to a medical facility, and nurses are usually wearing non-slip footwear. Even so, falls happen. This is especially true when a nurse is responding to an emergency.

There are many types of benefits available to injured workers. However, the two that are used in almost every injury are (1) Lost Wage Replacement and (2) Medical expense payment.

For your lost wages, it will depend on whether your injury prevents you from working altogether, or whether your injury requires you to reduce your hours or do a different, less stressful job. In either case, you are eligible for Workers Compensation benefits. If you are totally disabled, you are eligible for 60% of your average weekly wage. If you are partially disabled you will be eligible for 60% of the difference in your pay.

There are also different types of benefits available in various circumstances. This includes benefits for those who are permanently and totally disabled, benefits for workers who need job training to get back into the workforce, and for workers who have permanent loss of function and scarring.

Many nurses are not employees of the facilities where they work. Instead, they are employees of an agency or other company that provides nursing staff in various facilities. If this is the case, you should still be entitled to Workers Compensation benefits. But, instead of being provided by the place where you were injured, it would be provided by the agency that you work for.

Sometimes, this can be advantageous for you. It would mean that if you were injured by the negligence of someone at the hospital, it could open the door for a potential third party claim. This is one of the reasons why it’s important to talk with an experienced Workers Compensation attorney as soon as possible, even if you’re getting your benefits.There might be other claims that you’re not aware of, and by calling a Lowell Workers Compensation lawyer at Marcotte Law Firm, you won’t be leaving any money on the table.

If you’re a nurse who was injured on the job, it’s important to talk to a Workers Compensation lawyer, even if you’re getting benefits. This is for two reasons. First, the insurance company may suddenly stop paying you with only a few days notice. If you’ve already met with an attorney who has started some of the work on your case, you won’t be waiting as long for benefits. This can be important when you’re unable to work and don’t have any income coming in.

Second, you want to make sure that you’re getting all the benefits you deserve. Insurance companies are notorious for cutting corners and making it seem like you’re not entitled to more. An experienced Workers Compensation lawyer will evaluate your claim and ensure that you’re getting every penny you deserve.

At Marcotte Law Firm, our Lowell Workers Compensation lawyers understand all the benefits available, and our lawyers know how to make sure that you get them quickly, when you need them the most.

If you’re injured, call the Workers Compensation attorneys at Marcotte Law Firm for a free consultation.