If you are in the nursing profession, it is likely that you or a co-worker has sustained an injury at one time or another while on the job. Thankfully, workers’ compensation benefits should help to offset any costs associated with the injury. However, at times, it can be difficult to prove that you deserve all the benefits of your workers’ compensation on your own.
A Los Angeles workers’ comp attorney can help you prove your case so that you receive all the assistance you need during the time of your injury. You may not even realize whether you are getting less benefits than you deserve for your injury.
Statistics About Injuries Nurses Experience on the Job
According to a study by GMI Research, out of all the nurses surveyed, 12% reported being injured while at work in a one year time period. In addition, the survey also found that a staggering 76% percent of those surveyed stated that they experienced physical discomfort during work.
Another 64% of the nurses surveyed also reported feeling underprepared for protecting themselves from becoming injured. Abv 2011 study by the American Nursing Association found similar results with around 62% of nurses stating they were concerned about developing a disorder while on the job.
The concerns do not go unfounded, either. Nurses spend a good amount of their day helping their patients in a variety of ways. For example, they may be required to lift, move, or resituate a patient who is much larger than themselves without the assistance they need to do so safely.
Although a nurse may not become injured immediately after lifting one patient, continuously doing this can result in extra strain on the nurses’ body, especially if they are not adequately trained. This explains why around 52% of nurses surveyed say they suffer from back pain, 38% experience exhaustion, and 33% reported having a sore neck.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Nurses
As these two studies demonstrated, nurses frequently suffer from injuries, pain, and discomfort while on the job. All of these issues can require nurses to spend money on medication, to take time off from work to heal, or to require further medical attention to stop feeling pain or to fully heal from their injuries. Many nurses do not realize that their work-related injuries could actually be covered by workers’ compensation, even if they are the result of caring for patients over time.
You can discuss your injury with a Los Angeles workers compensation attorney, and he or she will be able to walk you through your rights as an injured worker in California. This can be especially beneficial if you are struggling to get your workers’ compensation from your company.
An attorney can assist with demonstrating there is just cause for you to receive the benefits so that you can get back to work and stay healthy. The Law Offices of Koszdin, Fields & Sherry can help. Call us today to schedule an appointment: 800-747-3447.
