Working on a construction site can be an inherently dangerous occupation, even if you and your coworkers follow safety precautions and wear proper safety gear. Between exposure to sharp tools and machinery, the common use of heavy construction materials, and the ever-present risk of a sudden slip, trip, or fall, circumstances arise every day that may lead to a construction worker suffering serious harm.
Common hand and finger injuries in construction accidents can put employees out of work for weeks or even months at a time, and severe incidents could even have permanent consequences. If you suffered a hand or finger injury in the course of your construction work, you may want to consider talking to a lawyer about your options for financial recovery.
What Types of Hand and Finger Injuries Do Construction Workers Deal with?
Because of the tools and machines workers use in the course of a normal workday, lacerations are among the most common hand and finger injuries on construction sites. Even when a worker is wearing construction gloves, a strong enough external force could still break the skin beneath the material of the gloves or even cut through the gloves completely.
Construction workers also often deal with repetitive motion injuries that can affect their ability to manipulate and carry objects with their hands. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a particularly common stress injury that can affect the hands and fingers and lead to significant pain and loss of function.
Workers on construction sites may alternatively sustain burns and/or nerve damage in their hands from exposure to hot or caustic substances, broken bones from hard impacts, or crushing injuries if their fingers get trapped inside machinery or pinched between two surfaces. Additionally, construction accidents may even cause permanent paralysis below the wrist or result in the amputation of individual fingers or a worker’s entire hand.
Options for Seeking Financial Compensation
Severe damage to the hand or fingers can significantly hinder a construction worker’s ability to fulfill the same job duties they had prior to their accident. Fortunately, whether an injury has only short-term impacts or results in a permanent disability, it may be possible for an injured construction worker to recover financially for some or all of their ensuing losses.
Many construction workers are covered by the workers’ compensation insurance policy maintained by their employer. If an injury is caused by the performance of job-related work, a covered employee may file a workers’ compensation claim for all related medical expenses, as well as various amounts of income replacement depending on the severity and ensuing disabilities they sustain.
On the other hand, if a construction accident stems from a reckless or careless act by a third party unaffiliated with an injured construction worker’s employer, that worker may be able to pursue a civil lawsuit against the negligent person or entity. Unlike workers’ comp claims, civil litigation allows recovery for all forms of economic and non-economic harm a plaintiff can trace back to their accident. However, it also requires the injured party to prove that negligence caused their damages instead of automatically assuming liability for covered damages.
Seek a Legal Representative With Experience in Common Hand and Finger Injuries in Construction Accidents Claims
Regardless of the circumstances that led to you suffering a hand or finger injury in a construction accident, seeking representation from a qualified legal professional could be key to protecting your personal and professional future. Get in touch with a construction accident lawyer today to learn more.