Workers’ compensation may help injured lumber company worker

In Tennessee, workplace accidents can be serious enough to put a worker out of commission for weeks or months. In one case in a different state, a worker suffered major injuries while working at a lumber site. The worker may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in this situation.

This accident occurred on a Saturday afternoon and resulted in a call to emergency workers. An ambulance service sent crews in two ambulances to the scene of a company that sells construction project materials. There, they realized that the employee’s injuries were significant.

They then decided to call for a helicopter to take the patient to the hospital instead, due to the severity of his injuries. Authorities established a helicopter landing zone on the north side of the company. The employee was taken to the hospital, but no other information was available regarding the nature or cause of the critical accident.

When an injury happens at work and the employer isn’t aware, it is wise to report the injury to one’s employer as soon as possible. The employee also would benefit from being seen by a doctor and letting the physician know that the injury happened at work. Then, a worker’s compensation claim can be filed.

In the event of a work accident or work-related injury in Tennessee, an employer is responsible for covering a percentage of the worker’s lost wages as well as paying for related medical expenses through workers’ compensation insurance. These benefits are available at no cost to a worker in our state. Sometimes, getting the benefits can be a challenge because insurance companies try to avoid paying them. However, by law, an injured worker is entitled to receive these benefits and has the right to pursue them.

Source: Baraboo News Republic, “Lumberyard worker injured Saturday”, Annie Getsinger, April 27, 2014