Benefits for Job-Related Head Injuries
Work-related injuries can disrupt your life. You might need costly medical care, and many injured workers must stay home and rest while they recover, resulting in financial strain. In some drastic situations, an injury might result in long-term disability. Worker’s compensation benefits exist to compensate workers for the costs of injuries on the job, and these benefits cover a wide range of injuries, including head injuries.
Serious Head Injuries
Accidents can result in a variety of head injuries, many of which are serious conditions with potentially lasting effects. In fact, some people many not even be aware that they have a brain injury, making it important to familiarize yourself common symptoms. Some examples of head injuries that can disrupt your life include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) – Anytime you hit your head or sustain a violent jolt, it can cause damage to your brain tissue. TBIs can be mild, moderate, or severe, and many of them cause a wide range of cognitive and physical impairments that can keep you from working.
- Brain hemorrhage or swelling – Sometimes, a blow to the head will cause the brain to start swelling or bleeding, causing fluid to collect inside the skull. This can lead to dangerously high intracranial pressure and might require surgery and lengthy hospitalization.
- Skull fracture – This can include a dent, crack, or puncture wound in the skull, and it results from a traumatic blow to the skull. Often, a skull fracture comes with a traumatic brain injury.
All these injuries are serious medical conditions, and injured workers can incur extensive losses as a result.
Head Injuries at Work
There are many different causes of head injuries, including workplace accidents. No matter what industry you are in, you might be at risk for a serious head injury from one of the following:
- Falls from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, and other high places
- Getting hit by falling tools or objects
- Explosions or blasting
- Heavy equipment accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Assaults
- Slip and falls
All these accidents have the potential to stop a worker’s life in its track due to a serious head injury.
Your Rights to Benefits for Head Injuries
If you suffered a head injury on the job, you should not be responsible for the medical costs and making up for lost wages that stemmed from your injury. Instead, your employer’s worker’s compensation coverage should provide benefits to cover certain losses. Some benefits that you might be entitled to after a head injury include:
- All your head injury-related medical expenses
- A percentage of the wages you lost because of your head injury
- Disability payments if you are out of work for a prolonged period due to your head injury, or if your injury prevents you from returning to work
Brain injuries can have lasting effects that might be difficult to understand. For this reason, many employers and insurers might try to wrongfully limit the benefits you receive. It is important to have the representation of an experienced San Jose worker’s compensation attorney during the claims process to make sure you receive the full benefits you deserve.
