Head injuries are severe wounds that can affect every aspect of your daily life, including how you feel, whether you can work, and how you interact with the world around you. If you sustained an on-the-job head injury in New York City, you could be entitled to compensation for these and other losses. However, securing the money you need to move on with your life could prove difficult without aggressive, experienced legal representation on your side.
The Perecman Firm, P.L.L.C., wants to help you seek justice. Our firm has recovered over half a billion dollars for injured people in New York over our 40 years in practice. We want to use that experience to demand the total compensation you deserve.
Contact us now to discuss your head injury at work in NYC with us during a free, no-obligation consultation.
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Causes of Head Injuries at Work in NYC
Every worker deserves a safe workplace free from preventable hazards and safety concerns. However, accidents at work sometimes cause significant injuries, such as head injuries. Some examples of the most common causes of workplace head injuries in New York include:
- Slip-and-fall accidents
- Falls from heights
- Transportation accidents
- Machinery accidents
- Fires and explosions
- Acts of violence
Employers are responsible for providing proper training, safety equipment, and instructions to prevent these types of accidents from happening in the workplace. When employers fail to uphold their responsibilities, workers often get hurt.
Types of Head Injuries
The most significant type of head injury is a traumatic brain injury or TBI. A traumatic brain injury occurs when blunt force trauma, penetrating wounds, or violent jolts to the head damage the brain.
Common types of head injuries that occur in the workplace include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Concussions
- Contusions
- Skull fractures
- Diffuse axonal injuries
- Intracranial hematomas
- Open head wounds
Every head injury requires immediate medical attention. Even seemingly mild head injuries can cause significant impairment when left untreated. Consult a physician as soon as possible if you suffer a head injury at work, even if you feel fine at the moment. A prompt medical examination and treatment could make a major difference in your prognosis.
Signs and Symptoms of Head Injuries
The signs of a head injury can vary depending on the person and the severity and type of the injury. Some people only feel minor headaches at the onset of the injury, while others experience loss of consciousness lasting from several seconds to minutes or even hours.
Some of the most common signs and symptoms associated with head injuries include:
- Loss of consciousness
- Headaches
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vision changes
- Hearing changes
- Sensitivity to light or sound
- Irritability
- Loss of coordination
- Slurred speech
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Changes in mood or behavior
- Changes in appetite or sleep patterns
- Seizures and convulsions
- Memory problems
- Difficulty concentrating or focusing
All head injuries are significant. If you suspect a head injury, consult a medical professional immediately.
Personal Injury Compensation for a Work-Related Head Injury in New York
New York heavily regulates the construction industry to protect workers from injury and provide for them if they become hurt. For example, several New York labor laws require construction site owners and operators to provide their workers with properly functioning ladders and scaffolds and protect them from falling objects. They must also provide workers with “reasonable and adequate” protection from preventable injuries. If they fail to do so, an injured worker can sue them directly rather than having to go through the workers’ compensation system as their only source of financial recovery.
Injured workers can also file lawsuits against any third parties whose carelessness contributes to their injuries. In this context, third parties include anyone other than the worker’s employer and their fellow employees.
With a successful personal injury lawsuit, an injured worker could recover financial compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
If you have grounds for a personal injury lawsuit after sustaining a head injury in an NYC workplace accident, the value of your claim will vary depending on the severity of the head injury and the unique circumstances of the accident. Our experienced New York head injury attorneys can review your situation and identify all potential sources of compensation for your losses.
Can I File a Workers’ Compensation Claim for a Head Injury?
In most cases, yes. New York requires nearly all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system that covers medical care costs and offsets lost wages for injured employees. Eligible employees qualify for workers’ comp from their first day on the job and can claim benefits without having to prove negligence.
However, independent contractors and other non-employee workers don’t always qualify for this type of coverage. If a work-related accident caused your head injury, talk to our knowledgeable NYC injury lawyer to learn more about your options.
Average Workers’ Compensation Settlements for Head Injuries
The potential value of your workers’ compensation claim can vary depending on several factors, including how long you are out of work, how severely you are injured, and how much income you earned before the accident. Generally, workers’ compensation covers necessary health care expenses related to work injuries, replaces up to two-thirds of your average weekly wages, and pays for incidentals like travel expenses to and from health care appointments. Other benefits, such as disability or survivor benefits, might be available depending on the circumstances.
How Common Are Workplace Head Injuries?
Head injuries are unfortunately common in many NYC workplaces. One study suggests as many as one in four mild traumatic brain injuries in adults occurs in the workplace. In one recent year, over 68,000 people missed time from work due to head injuries, according to the National Safety Council.
Contact Our New York Workplace Head Injury Lawyer
A work-related head injury can have life-altering consequences. If you suffered a head injury in the workplace in NYC, you deserve fair compensation for your medical costs, financial losses, and diminished quality of life. Contact The Perecman Firm, today for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options.