As the name implies, crush injuries happen when part of your body experiences prolonged compression. This type of harm can cause damage to muscles, nerves, and soft tissue, as well as bones, internal organs, and connective tissues. Two main types of crush injuries are compartment syndrome and crush syndrome. Compartment syndrome involves damage to a limited area, while crush syndrome causes widespread damage.
When you are injured, the first step is to get appropriate medical care. Timely medical supervision can help prevent injuries from worsening in some situations. The next step is to consult with a Glendale crush injury lawyer. A trusted workplace injury attorney from our firm could help you understand your legal rights, including your eligibility for workers’ compensation.
Crush injuries can range in severity, and medical professionals use either the five P’s or the six P’s to determine that severity. Five factors are pain, paraesthesia, pulselessness, pallor, and paralysis. The sixth factor is poikilothermia, which is the inability to keep a constant core temperature. These factors help medical professionals assess the severity of the injury. However, many people only present with pain immediately after a crush injury. Other symptoms may surface in the days or weeks following.
These injuries can result from many different workplace or job-related scenarios. Some of the most common include:
Regardless of the cause of your crush injury, our Glendale attorneys could help you pursue workers’ compensation benefits to ensure you receive the appropriate medical treatment and keep you afloat financially while you are out of work.
An isolated injury can lead to a condition known as compartment syndrome. With compartment syndrome, a person experiences localized symptoms. These symptoms can be acute or chronic. Some people may use physical therapy to reach full recovery, while others may need more drastic treatment, such as amputating the impacted limb.
When an injury is not limited to a localized area, it is called crush syndrome. This type of crush injury involves systemic issues, including damage to organs. The most common problem linked to this syndrome is kidney failure; however, injured workers may also experience respiratory issues, blood clots, heart damage, or other problems that can lead to acute short-term distress and chronic long-term health problems.
Because crush injuries often result in serious and often long-term or permanent damage, working with a Glendale attorney is vital to making sure you get the benefits you need. Workers’ compensation can reimburse you for medical care, time off from work, and can also provide disability payments as well as financial assistance with training for a different line of work if you are no longer able to return to your job due to your injuries.
While a workplace crush injury can be debilitating, ensuring that you have access to enough money to pay for continued medical care can significantly improve your quality of life. Medical care may include mental and physical health services since dealing with a crush injury can also be psychologically debilitating. A crush injury lawyer can guide you in pursuing a workers’ compensation claim. Call our firm today.
