Tag: nurse

Working in a hospital is the most dangerous occupation of all. Believe it or not, it is more hazardous than working in the construction or manufacturing industries. In fact, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that working in a hospital is twice as dangerous as working in the private industry as a whole. For every 100 full-time hospital workers, 6.8 individuals annually must take time off of work due to a work-related injury or illness. That means nearly 55 injuries a year for the Albany Medical Center (AMC), which has nearly 800 employees. St. Peter’s, which is another large healthcare employer in the Capital region, although with fewer beds than AMC, also has its share of annual hospital worker injuries.

As a healthcare professional, you know of the potential you have for injuring yourself as you care for others. Whether you work in a hospital, nursing home, medical office, or homecare setting, your duties expose you to hazards that could lead to an injury that leaves you unable to work as you recover. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), hospital workers are more likely to miss work due to injury than workers in the construction or manufacturing industries.

While caring for incapacitated patients, nurses lift and move patients during tasks that require nurses to lift them as they attend to wounds and personal needs and move them into wheelchairs and onto gurneys, putting themselves at risk for back, hip, and knee injuries. Wet floors, electrical cords, and medical equipment creating slipping and tripping hazards for nurses in hospital rooms and clinics. Exposure to bodily fluids of infected patients and sharp needles place nurses at risk of contracting infectious diseases or being exposed to toxic substances.

New York workers’ compensation law provides that a treating medical provider may discuss an injured employee’s medical history, diagnosis, causation, course of treatment, prognosis, work restrictions and impairments with the workers’ compensation insurance carrier, the employer or certified rehabilitation professionals (nurse case managers).

However, before any discussion may take place the injured employee must be notified by the employer, insurance carrier or its representative, or nurse case manager about the discussion at least ten days before the anticipated communication; be allowed to be present during any such discussion or communication, along with the employee’s attorney if represented; regularly be informed by the employer, insurance carrier or nurse case manager about the nature of the communication before the discussion

At HURT-511, our personal injury lawyers help injured workers recover the benefits to which they are entitled by law. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer, call us toll-free at 800-4878-511 or complete our online form. Our firm handles accident and injury claims throughout all five boroughs of New York.

HURT-511 operates in all boroughs of New York including all Bronx neighborhoods, namely: Bedford Park, Belmont, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Parkchester, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Throgs Neck, University Heights

Most people don’t realize just how much healthcare workers do in a days’ work. They lift patients in and out of ambulances, vans, wheelchairs and gurneys, transferring them to hospital, clinic and ER beds. They are exposed to airborne viruses and diseases, hazardous bacteria and contaminated needlesticks. They have to handle razor-sharp scalpels that may be covered in germs, infected fluids or blood.

Healthcare workers injured in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms or doctor’s offices can suffer job-related injuries as serious as construction site injuries. And, just like any workplace injury, filing a workers compensation claim is the first step toward recovering, both financially and medically. But the process can be incredibly complicated and, very often, without the help of a knowledgeable lawyer, work injury victims have their claim denied.

On a daily basis, the men and women who work within the health care industry must perform a variety of physical tasks that put them at risk of suffering injury. For many, tasks involved with assisting, moving and lifting patients takes a tremendous physical toll at puts healthcare workers like nurses at an increased risk of suffering injuries to the neck, back and extremities.

From a nurse who experiences a sharp pain in her neck while helping move a patient to a home health care aide worker who suffers a chronic dull ache in her lower back, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports high incidences of musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers. For many, these types of injuries are not only painful, but also disabling. There are several risk factors contributing to the high rates of occupational injuries among healthcare workers.

For example, throughout the course of one shift, a 120 pound nurse may be tasked with caring for several patients, many of which likely outweigh her by one hundred or more pounds. Given the physical requirements of the nursing profession, in cases where a hospital fails to invest in equipment to aid in the safe handling of patients, it’s almost impossible to avoid injury.

Hospital, nursing home and home health aide employers must work to educate and train healthcare workers about proper lifting and patient handling techniques. Additionally, research proves that incidences of injury among nurses and other healthcare workers can be significantly reduced through the use and implementation of mechanical hoists and other equipment as well as specialized lifting procedures. Healthcare workers who suffer work-related injuries are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Often, when dealing with workers’ compensation insurance providers, injured workers can benefit from the advice and assistance of an attorney.

At HURT-511, our personal injury lawyers help injured workers recover the benefits to which they are entitled by law. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer, call us toll-free at 800-4878-511 or complete our online form. Our firm handles accident and injury claims throughout all five boroughs of New York.

HURT-511 operates in all boroughs of New York including all Bronx neighborhoods, namely: Bedford Park, Belmont, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Parkchester, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Throgs Neck, University Heights

Medical assistants, nurses, and transportation workers in the healthcare sector play a crucial role in the running of a hospital. Often, they are the first ones to report for duty and are the last ones to leave. They work for extended hours caring for those who need medical attention. However, they too can get injured in the process. Healthcare professionals who are prone to work-related injuries include medical assistants, nursing staff, nursing home aid workers, hospital patient transportation workers, PT/OT and physical therapist aides and EMT and paramedics.

There are many ways in which a healthcare professional can get injured at the workplace. Healthcare workers have to reposition, lift, and shift patients, and with more and more patients being obese, the chances of a worker getting injured are high. A large number of healthcare workers get musculoskeletal disorders and injuries at a rate higher than that even in the mining and construction industries.

Slips and falls are common types of injuries suffered by healthcare workers. Grease, water, and spilled fluids can cause a worker to slip and lose balance. Falls often cause disabling injuries that may have life-changing consequences. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare professionals are 90 percent more prone to injuries from slips, trips, and falls compared to workers in any other industry. It is the second largest cause of injury, ranking next only to overexertion induced injuries.

As for any employee who is injured on the job or develops a work-related illness, workers’ compensation may provide benefits that pay for medical expenses and lost wages. It is important to know that you cannot be fired or discriminated against for filing a workers’ compensation claim based on your hospital injury. General rules require you to report your injury to your employer as soon as possible. Although your employer cannot claim you were negligent and responsible for your own injury, depending on the status of your employment, the hospital may argue that you are an independent contractor and not covered by workers’ compensation or that your injury was not work-related.

Patients suffering from dementia or the side effects of medications may become violent and attack their caregivers. Nurses are frequently the victims of assault. Because of these hazards, you may suffer from serious injuries including, but not limited to, sprains, strains, broken bones, infections, and open wounds. These injuries and illnesses will require medical treatment and time away from work. Because the incident that caused the injury occurred at work, you should receive workers’ comp benefits to cover your losses.

The New York workers’ comp board or your self-insured employer may look for any excuse to deny your workers’ comp claim and assume that you will back down and accept whatever decision they make. You have too much at stake to do this.

In some cases, the workers’ compensation insurance carrier may employ a nurse case manager to assist the injured worker with these tasks.  It is important that the injured worker understands his or her rights during the workers’ compensation process and the limits of the nurse case manager’s role.

The majority of nurse case managers are registered nurses, and they act as a medical case worker. They may, with the patient’s permission, attend doctors’ and hospital appointments and communicate with the patient and the authorized physician about the patient’s treatment.

A nurse case manager is responsible for helping an injured worker to obtain the medical care that he or she needs; serving as a liaison between all parties involved in the workers’ compensation claim, including doctors, the injured worker, the employer and the insurance company; providing information to an insurance adjuster regarding doctors’ visits and treatment authorization.

At HURT-511, our personal injury lawyers help injured workers recover the benefits to which they are entitled by law. For a free consultation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer, call us toll-free at 800-4878-511 or complete our online form. Our firm handles accident and injury claims throughout all five boroughs of New York.

HURT-511 operates in all boroughs of New York including all Bronx neighborhoods, namely: Bedford Park, Belmont, Fordham, Highbridge, Hunts Point, Jerome Park, Kingsbridge, Morris Park, Morrisania, Mott Haven, Parkchester, Riverdale, Spuyten Duyvil, Throgs Neck, University Heights