A large percentage of the U.S. population works desk jobs that require workers to sit for an unhealthy amount of time. In this blog, we discuss common sitting-related injuries, how to prevent these injuries, and if you can receive workers’ compensation.

Injuries Caused by Prolonged Sitting

Extended periods of sitting can result in various injuries with differing degrees of severity. One area that is especially vulnerable when sitting for extended periods is your back. Back pain and injuries are incredibly common for seated employees. In fact, an estimated 80% of people experience recurring lower back pain at some point in their lives. Sitting for prolonged periods can greatly contribute to your risk of back discomfort and injuries.

Some common injuries from sitting include:

Back and Spine Strain

Sitting puts more stress on your spinal column and back than standing, and those who slouch while sitting put even more pressure on their back and spine. Prolonged sitting can result in muscle tightness which can make you more susceptible to back and spine injuries.

Spinal Misalignment

Those who sit at work often struggle with spinal misalignment, making them highly susceptible to experiencing lower back injuries. The main cause for spinal misalignment while at work is sitting incorrectly, so make sure to sit with good posture.

Coronary Artery Disease

In addition to common back injuries, other parts of your body can feel the effects of prolonged sitting, including your heart. Our bodies are designed to stay active throughout the day, and prolonged sedentary periods, such as sitting for eight hours while at work, greatly increase our risk of developing heart problems.

The 2015 study, “Sedentary Behavior is Associated with Coronary Artery Calcification in the Dallas Heart Study,” found that adults have a much greater risk of developing heart problems when sitting for prolonged periods. Every hour of sitting increases your risk of developing coronary artery disease by 14%, meaning that a person who sits while working has a much greater risk of developing this disease than someone who stays on their feet.

Hip Injuries

Prolonged sitting can eventually lead to hip injuries. When you sit for extended periods, your glute muscles become weaker and you may develop muscle asymmetries. Weakened glute muscles force your lower back and hips to work harder, which can then result in hip and lower back injuries. Muscle asymmetries may cause your hips to become uneven, which can lead to a variety of issues including hip pain, knee pain, and trouble walking.

Preventing Sitting Injuries

Although sitting while at work can lead to numerous issues, there are steps you can take to decrease your likelihood of experiencing a sitting-related injury. Consider investing in a more ergonomic chair that also provides proper back support. If possible, you can also utilize a height-adjustable standing desk for part of your day to decrease the harmful effects of sitting.

You can also make a conscious effort to take breaks from sitting, but you need to do more than just stand — you need to get your body moving to support blood circulation. Try to take regular walking breaks throughout your day to decrease your likelihood of suffering from a muscle injury or developing coronary artery disease.

Workers’ Compensation for Sitting-Related Injuries

Workers’ compensation is insurance designed to reimburse employees for medical bills and lost wages associated with workplace injuries and illnesses. To qualify, you need to be able to draw a direct link between your injury or illness to your work or work environment. Unfortunately, it’s often challenging to prove that your work resulted in sitting-related injuries.

This is especially the case when it comes to filing a workers’ compensation claim for a heart condition. Your work may have negatively impacted your cardiovascular health, but there are usually different factors that contribute to these conditions, making it challenging to receive workers’ compensation.

One critical part of proving that your injury or illness resulted from your work is by receiving a diagnosis from your treating doctor. Your doctor may indicate that you developed your condition because your work required you to sit all day. When filing a workers’ compensation claim, make sure to keep notes of your conversations with your doctor as well as the entirety of your medical records. This will help you prove that your work caused your condition.

Contact a Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Some workplace injuries and illnesses are difficult to prove, especially when it comes to desk jobs. If you develop a sitting-related injury, you may need to enlist the expertise of a workers’ compensation attorney to help you prove that your condition developed because of your work.

If you suffer from a workplace injury or illness in Louisiana, contact Lunsford, Baskin, & Priebe, PLLC. We’ll help prove your claim, and we’ll work to maximize the amount you’ll receive for your injuries or condition. Call us today at 504-788-2994, or click here for a free case evaluation.

If you are injured as a worker in an oil field accident, you may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim to recover benefits. However, not all employers carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover their employees, and some workers who perform mining-related work may be ineligible in certain states.

If you have questions about your eligibility for workers’ compensation or need help filing a claim, the attorneys at Lunsford, Baskin, & Priebe, PLLC can help. Our primary focus is on workers’ compensation law and we have helped hundreds of clients, including oil workers, get the compensation they deserve.

How Do Injuries Occur in Oil Fields?

Accidents in oil fields can happen for various reasons but are often caused by lack of training, exhausted workers, poor supervision, faulty equipment, and a lack of safety gear. Accidents can also happen when employers or workers violate OSHA safety regulations and fail to conduct regular inspections.

Specific incidents that can cause injury in oil fields include, but are not limited to:

• Fires and explosions
• Equipment and machinery malfunctions
• Oil well blowouts
• Collapsed rigs
• Entrapment in machinery
• Falls from rigs and other equipment
• General contact with dangerous parts of machinery
• Crane, truck, or other vehicle accidents

What Are the Most Common Injuries Suffered in Oil Field Accidents?

Injury and fatality rates are high for those who work in mining, quarrying, and oil extraction. As listed above, numerous high-risk situations and incidents occur in oil fields that can lead to severe injury and illness. Some of the most common injuries include:

Head, Neck, and Traumatic Brain Injuries

Neck, head, and brain injuries are highly common among workers who are susceptible to falls. Large rigs are commonly used to extract oil and gas in the oil field, and falls from those rigs can lead to severe head and brain trauma.

Gas Poisoning

Hydrogen sulfide is a type of gas that is typically found in oil fields. It is colorless and odorless, making it undetectable in many situations. When working in poorly ventilated areas, workers can easily become sick from hydrogen sulfide poisoning.

Thermal and Electrical Burns

When machinery and equipment malfunction, it can electrocute workers, which can lead to electrical burns and even death. Injuries from fires and explosions are also prevalent in oil fields as gas and oil are naturally explosive substances.

Fractured and Crushed Bones

Falls from rigs can result in broken bones, but workers can also suffer from broken and crushed limbs by getting caught or trapped in dangerous equipment and machinery.

Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Back and spinal cord injuries are common due to the dangerous nature of the work involved in quarrying and oil extraction. Again, workers can fall from rigs, which can damage their back muscles, backbone, and spinal cord. These areas of the body can also become damaged if a worker gets entrapped between parts of a machine or between pieces of equipment.

Recovering Compensation After an Oil Field Accident

Generally, workers are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits no matter how or where the accident occurs or who was at fault, so long as the injury is work-related. When you become injured, you would simply file a workers’ compensation claim, and your employer’s insurance would pay you benefits to help cover medical expenses and lost wages.

However, not all employers carry workers’ compensation coverage, and in some states, such as Louisiana, workers who are considered miners may not be eligible for benefits. If you find that you are ineligible for benefits or if your employer does not have coverage, you may be able to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your injuries and other damages.

Keep in mind, however, you cannot file a lawsuit against an employer who does carry coverage simply because you are ineligible. But you may be able to file a lawsuit against a third party that is responsible for causing the accident. In this case, you would need to prove fault to collect damages.

Potentially liable third parties in oil field accidents can include:

• Oil rig owners
• Landowners
• Contractors and subcontractors
• Rig or machinery manufacturers
• Shipping companies
• Trucking companies

Connect with an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney

If you need help filing a claim and recovering compensation for injuries that resulted from an oil field accident, our team of experts can help. Oil field injuries are often severe and may require expensive medical treatments and days off of work while recovering. And, understandably, this can place heavy financial burdens on you and your loved ones.

Our attorneys have years of experience handling all kinds of workers’ compensation cases, including those involving oil field work. Let us review your case and help you get the compensation you deserve.

For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Mississippi or Louisiana, contact Lunsford, Baskin, and Priebe, PLLC. After-hours visits are available.

Unfortunately, despite their dangerous nature, forklifts do make transporting large, heavy items around the workplace more convenient, especially in large warehouses. For this reason, it is unlikely that employers will discontinue their use. However, both employers and their staff should take precautions and understand the dangers involved before allowing the operation of such machinery.

If you are injured in a forklift accident in the workplace, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits, no matter who was at fault. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault benefit available to eligible workers without the need to prove that someone was liable or acted negligently. However, filing for workers’ comp benefits is not always easy. Working with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can ensure you receive the full amount of benefits you deserve.

How Do Forklift Accidents Occur?

The exact nature of forklift accidents can vary depending on the individual circumstances. For example, a worker operating the forklift could become injured if they run into something, or a worker not operating the machinery could become injured from an object falling off of the forklift or from the forklift running into them. In general, whenever heavy machinery and the transport of heavy objects are involved, the risk of accident and injury goes up.

Some of the most common reasons forklift accidents occur in the workplace include:

• Lack of training: When an employer fails to adequately train employees how to use machinery and equipment, such as forklifts, it can lead to workplace accidents.
• Reckless forklift operation: Workers who act negligently of their own accord, such as using high forklift speeds, failing to watch where they are going, or failing to communicate to other workers around them, can cause accidents. Often, this is still the result of a lack of proper training and guidance from supervisors.
• Lack of signage: Workplace environments that use heavy and dangerous equipment should have proper signage throughout to warn and alert all workers to the presence of dangerous equipment, such as forklifts. A lack of necessary signage can cause accidents with these vehicles to occur.
• Improper loading: If materials and other items are not properly loaded and secured onto the forklift platform, they can fall off while in transport and injure someone.
• Poor workplace design: If a workplace is not properly set up or structured to accommodate the safe operation of a forklift, it can lead to an accident. For example, cluttered workspace or warehouses with narrow aisles and pathways can make it difficult to maneuver machinery around.
• Malfunctions and lack of maintenance: If a forklift experiences a defect or a malfunction, or if an employer fails to keep up with forklift maintenance, it can cause the operator to lose control and cause an accident.

Common Injuries That Result From Forklift Accidents

Though the injuries sustained in a forklift accident can vary, they tend to be severe and even fatal. For this reason, it is imperative that injured workers file for workers’ compensation benefits and work with an attorney to ensure their benefits are fully and promptly paid. Severe forklift-related injuries often require expensive medical treatments and time off of work. The more permanent and severe injuries may even result in the inability to ever return to work and earn an income.

Common forklift injuries include:

• Neck and back injuries
• Head injuries and traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Bruises
• Lacerations
• Fractured bones
• Crushed limbs
• Amputations
• Damage to internal organs
• Internal bleeding
• Permanent impairments
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Death

Connect with an Experienced Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Forklift accidents can be devastating. The injuries that follow can leave you temporarily or even permanently disabled, drastically altering your quality of life. Furthermore, the treatments required can be expensive, and you may miss extended periods from work or never be able to work again. In these situations, working with an attorney is often best to ensure you are awarded the full amount of benefits you need and deserve to recover and move on.

At Lunsford, Baskin, and Priebe, PLLC, our attorneys have years of experience dealing with traumatic workplace injury cases such as those involving forklifts. We are dedicated and determined to help injured workers get the compensation they deserve.

For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Louisiana, contact Lunsford, Baskin, and Priebe, PLLC.

According to the CDC, 87 deaths and 11,000 non-fatal injuries were reported among maritime workers from 2011-2017, which is nearly six times the rate of all workers in the United States. Fatality rates are high for this industry due to the extreme working conditions; even nonfatal injuries and illnesses are high and often result in severe injuries that leave workers permanently disabled.

While there are federal laws in place to protect maritime workers, Mississippi does not protect them through standard state workers’ compensation coverage. Understanding the laws that do protect these maritime workers and offer compensation for injuries and illnesses can be a challenge. For this reason, it is crucial for marine workers to connect with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to ensure they file the appropriate claim to get the compensation they deserve.

How Maritime Accidents Occur

Marine workers are often exposed to extreme working conditions, not to mention the fact that the ocean itself poses a dangerous threat, meaning accidents and injuries are quite common in this industry. Some of the most common reasons maritime accidents occur include:

• Unpredictable weather and swells
• Dangerous machinery
• Intense physical labor
• Long working hours and lack of sleep
• Prolonged periods of isolation and being away from home
• Confined spaces
• Bullying and abuse amongst the workers
• Diving accidents
• Fires and explosions
• Exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals
• Loading and unloading accidents

Common Maritime Worker Injuries

Due to the highly dangerous working conditions, injuries and illnesses sustained while performing maritime work are often more severe and deadly than those experienced in other industries.

Common maritime injuries include:

• Drowning
• Hypothermia
• Toxic exposure illnesses
• Chemical burns
• Thermal burns
• Head, neck, and back injuries
• Slip and fall injuries
• Loss of limbs
• Fractures and lacerations
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Damage to internal organs
• Assault injuries
• Suicide

Maritime Injury Compensation Law

While maritime workers are not eligible for standard state workers’ compensation benefits in Mississippi, there are federal laws in place that protect them in case of injury or illness. Of these federal laws, the Jones Act is the most relevant.

The Jones Act

The Jones Act is a federal law that protects maritime workers who have been injured due to negligent employers. This act ensures that vessel owners and supervisors are held responsible for the maintenance of the vessel and work equipment, as well as ensuring they provide a safe work environment for their employees.

Damages that can be awarded under the Jones Act include:

• Medical expenses
• Loss of wages
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Living expenses during recovery
• Wrongful death

Maintenance and Cure

In addition to coverage under the Jones Act, injured maritime workers are also eligible for a provision called Maintenance and Cure. This is essentially a stipend that compensates injured workers for living expenses and other basic needs while they recover. Additionally, it requires vessel owners to cover all necessary medical expenses relating to the injury until the worker reaches “maximum medical improvement.”

Connect with an Experienced Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Attorney

The process of filing for workers’ compensation can be challenging under normal circumstances. However, the process can be even more complicated for maritime workers as they are not eligible for standard state workers’ comp benefits. If you are injured as a maritime worker, an experienced workers’ comp attorney can help answer your questions and guide you through the process of filing a claim under the law that is most relevant to your situation.

For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Mississippi, contact Lunsford, Baskin, and Priebe, PLLC. After-hours visits are available.