Olympia Workplace Injuries & Serious Fractures Lawyer

Not only is a fracture injury very painful, but a fractured bone also can be severe enough to require surgery. Even when surgery is performed, the injury still can be debilitating and prevent a person from being able to return to employment. For workers in Washington who have been injured on the job and have sustained career-ending injuries, permanent total disability pension benefits may be available. Get help from Ron Meyers & Associates PLLC by calling 844-920-2438.

Causes and Types of Workplace Fractures in Olympia

There are three common causes of fractures, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: osteoporosis, trauma and overuse. For workers who suffer a debilitating fracture at work that requires surgery, trauma is the most common cause.

A trauma-induced fracture can occur due to a number of different types of accidents. A slip and fall accident can result in severe trauma, as can a crash involving a vehicle, a falling object or even an equipment malfunction. Lack of scaffolding safety standards, guards for machinery, or other disregards for safety standards in the workplace can lead to accidents that cause severe fracture injuries for workers.

Often, the most severe types of fractures are known as comminuted fractures. In this type of fracture injury, the bone breaks in more than three places. Open or compound fractures (where the skin is pierced and bone is revealed) are another type of serious fracture injury.

Surgery Following a Serious Fracture Injury in Olympia

The majority of fractures heal without a permanent injury, and many do not require surgery. For a severe fracture injury, an internal reduction and internal fixation surgery may be performed, in which the bone is repositioned and secured with screws. Sometimes, though, fractures are so severe that even corrective surgery cannot correct the injury completely.

When a fracture causes nerve damage, surgery may not be enough. One of the most serious types of fractures that even surgery may not be able to correct is a fracture of the thoracic and lumbar spine. This type of fracture can cause damage to the spinal cord. A spinal cord injury can result in permanent loss of certain functions, including partial or total paralysis. Other types of fractures may cause nerve damage in other types of the body as well.

Workers’ Compensation for a Serious Fracture Injury in Olympia

For workers who have been involved in accidents in which they sustained fractures severe enough to require surgery and to cause permanent disability, workers’ compensation benefits can help pay for medical care and replace lost wages.

Permanent total disability benefits are available to workers who lose the use of two limbs (two arms, two legs or one of each), or workers determined to be permanently unable to become gainfully employed due to their injury.

For workers who qualify for permanent total disability benefits, the benefits will be paid in the form of a monthly pension. The amount of pension benefits is dependent upon a number of factors and varies on a case-by-case basis. Further, upon commencement of pension benefits, medical benefits may stop unless treatment is required to protect the worker’s life.

Call Ron Meyers & Associates Today

If you’ve been rendered permanently disabled and unable to return to work for the remainder of your life due to a workplace fracture and related complications, get the assistance of an attorney. An attorney can help ensure your claim for permanent total disability benefits is approved and that you get the maximum amount of pension benefits you deserve.

You need an attorney on your side who is passionate about helping you recover the benefits to which you’re entitled for your injuries. At Ron Meyers & Associates PLLC, our attorneys know that not being able to return to work and facing a life-changing disability is emotionally devastating and financially incapacitating. Call us now for legal help at 844-920-2438.