Trucking work injuries are common. Many truck drivers at some point in their careers will need a workers’ compensation lawyer to help them file – and win – a workers’ compensation claim. The law provides important benefits that can help semi-truck drivers cover medical expenses and support their families until they can recover and return to the road. This blog will provide an overview of the kinds of injuries truck drivers often suffer – and how an experienced Nebraska workers’ compensation lawyer can help them secure the benefits they need and deserve.
Trucking is a rewarding, yet challenging career. It provides freedom, travel, and the opportunity to make a good living. At the same time, truckers are often away from their families for long periods of time. They also can get seriously hurt unloading cargo, cranking landing gear, slipping and falling on fluids leaked from the truck or reefer unit, blood clots, crashes on the road and many more. Painful injuries to the neck, shoulders, legs, and back can end that rewarding career in an instant.
If a truck driver suffers an injury leaving them unable to return to work, their options for a Plan B – a different career – are likely limited, especially if they’ve been driving for a long time. How many choices do they have to make a good living and provide for their families? It’s important that injured truckers file a workers’ compensation claim to help pay their bills, heal so they can return to work, or start a new life if needed.
Truck Injury Lawyer | Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Attorney
The Nebraska workers’ compensation lawyer at Watson & Carroll, P.C., L.L.O helps injured truck drivers successfully file and secure the benefits they need and deserve. If you were hurt on the job, even if it was your fault the accident occurred, don’t settle for what the insurance company tells you – and don’t go it alone. To share your story and start getting the benefits you are entitled to, call 402-234-8787 or fill out our confidential contact form.
Free Workers’ Compensation Ebook: “Hurt on the Job?”
If you’ve been hurt at work, you likely have questions. Our free ebook, “Hurt on the Job?” was written by our skilled Nebraska workers’ compensation attorney. It can help answer your questions, ease your mind, and help you make a decision to file a claim or hire an attorney. Download your free ebook here.
Workers’ Compensation For Truck Drivers
Typically, workers’ compensation covers:
- Medical treatment, which includes doctor or hospital visits, diagnostic testing, surgery, medication, medical devices and prosthetics, therapies, and other costs incurred.
- Lost wages and compensation for permanent injuries.
- Death benefits, which include some funeral expenses and a percentage of weekly compensation to surviving dependents.
Truck drivers might face risks that people in other occupations don’t. A serious injury impacting your ability to earn income can change your life forever. But that doesn’t mean it needs to leave you without an income at all.
The workers’ compensation team at Watson & Carroll, P.C., L.L.O. represents injured workers across Nebraska, from Omaha to Sidney and everywhere in between. We have helped recover benefits for employees who sustained complex injuries in the workplace, including compensation for medical and hospital bills, travel expenses, rehabilitation, and lost wages. Call 402-234-8787 or fill out our contact form to share your story and get started.
Injured in another state?
If you are a truck driver employed by a Nebraska company but injured in another state, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in Nebraska. Every state’s worker’s comp laws are different, as well as their standards of proof to win your claim. At the same time, if you are employed by a trucking company headquartered in another state but hurt while on the job in Nebraska, you also may qualify for benefits here. Contact our workers’ comp team to share your story and to find out the best options available for workers’ compensation benefits. In the meantime, download our free ebook, which will likely answer many of your questions. Get your free ebook today.
Types of Injuries Covered By Workers’ Compensation
There are two kinds of injuries that can be covered by workers’ compensation: traumatic injuries or occupational injuries/illnesses.
A traumatic injury can be anything minor to life-altering, from a slight concussion to a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or amputation. There are a few types of truck accidents that are especially common: rollover, jackknife, tire blowout, unsecured loads, and underride accidents.
Injuries commonly associated with truck accidents include:
- Broken bones
- Back and neck injuries
- Head trauma
- Internal organ injuries
- Lacerations
- Rib and torso injuries
- Seat belt injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
Accidents aside, occupational injuries or illnesses from trucking include repetitive stress injuries, musculoskeletal disorders, falls, struck by or against injuries and other health concerns.
A repetitive stress injury is caused by repeated motion or positioning that happens during the course of your normal activities. A repetitive stress injury usually affects soft tissues that include nerves, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. These conditions include:
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger
- Bursitis
- Tenosynovitis
- Ganglion cysts
- Tendinitis
- Epicondylitis or “tennis elbow”
Someone with a repetitive stress injury might experience pain, numbness, tingling, or other sensations in almost any part of their body. Prolonged truck driving can cause any of these conditions.
Musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back, and upper extremities can be caused by loading or unloading boxes, cartons, containers, tanks or bins from the truck. They can also be caused by using dollies or loaders, or even working on truck tires. Often, these disorders are the result of overexertion.
A back or neck injury is sometimes caused by lifting cargo or equipment, but it can also happen because of less strenuous activity like climbing into the cab of a truck. Often, the effects of strenuous activity like lifting or bending are exacerbated because they follow several hours of sitting still.
Falls from heights are also coming in the trucking industry. Many drivers need to climb onto high places on a vehicle, use ladders or stairs, or make deliveries to upper floors of a building, warehouse, or construction site. A driver can fall on stairs, into an unsecured opening, or when exiting the truck. Often, knee and back sprains happen to truckers who fall when disembarking from the vehicle.
Struck-by or struck-against injuries can occur when lifting a hitched trailer, opening a cargo container, or attaching a trailer can allow movement of vehicle parts like lift-gates, winch bars, pallet jacks, boxes, or cartons. Many truckers are injured from being struck by these objects or any loose cargo.
There are some less-obvious health issues that face truck drivers, including:
- Obesity and stress. It’s well-known that obesity, stress, and smoking can lead to chronic health conditions like diabetes, cardiac issues, and cancer.
- Substance abuse. Truck drivers are known to use stimulants to stay awake. This can lead to dependence and other addiction-related issues.
- Exposure to hazardous chemicals. A truck driver has near constant exposure to diesel fumes, which can cause chronic lung problems. In addition, depending on what kind of cargo you’re hauling, it might include a substance like chlorine or nitrogen, which could be harmful. A hazmat truck accident that leads to a chemical spill could create an exposure situation that leaves you with respiratory or other injuries.
The main aspect to any workers’ compensation claim is proving that your injury was caused by your job. Sometimes this is easier said than done, which is why you need the help of an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer when filing a claim. Even a case, such as an accident may seem cut-and-dry, but that is rarely the case.
Best Workers’ Comp Attorney for Truck Drivers
The skilled workers’ compensation lawyers at Watson & Carroll can help you get what you need. The workers’ compensation system exists for your benefit, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to navigate or negotiate. Our legal team has successfully secured benefits for countless clients in Nebraska – many of whom had assumed their claim was impossible to win. Our workers’ compensation team is skilled at going up against large employers as well as the insurance companies, doctors, nurses, and lawyers who defend their interests.
We are in this together.
If you’re ready to fight for what’s right for you and your family, get in touch with us. The workers compensation lawyers at Watson & Carroll will stop at nothing to secure your right to compensation so you can focus on healing, resting, and getting back to work stronger than ever. Call 402-234-8787 to speak to an attorney today or fill out our contact form and we will reach out to you.
Download Our Free Workers’ Compensation Ebook
Our free ebook, “Hurt on the Job? What You Don’t Know About Work Comp Can Cost You!” can answer your questions, ease your mind, and help you make a decision to file a claim. Download your free ebook here.
About Watson & Carroll
Watson & Carroll, P.C., L.L.O., is not a high-volume law firm that only speaks with clients when it is absolutely necessary. For us, it’s personal. Our team works closely with our clients and their loved ones– not only so that we understand their challenges and concerns, but so we can tailor our approach to address those factors, aggressively pursue results, and secure peace of mind. Whether it is a workers’ compensation case to review, a personal injury claim, or fighting for your disability benefits, we fight to protect our clients and make sure their rights are upheld.
Our firm can help you, especially during this critical, uncertain time. Call 402-234-8787 or email contact@watsoncarroll.com. You also can fill out our confidential form here to share your story.