Common Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries in Workplace and Auto Accidents

Many workers in Tennessee operate forklifts, pallet jacks, and various types of heavy machinery. Other workers climb high to install roofs, wash windows, and build houses. Unfortunately, employers do not always provide safe working conditions for their workers. A fall due to a missing rail or a sudden strike from a malfunctioning forklift could cause spinal cord injuries and change a worker’s life.

Getting into a car, whether you are on the job or not, can also result in spinal cord trauma. High-speed collisions, rollovers, and side-impact crashes can severely damage the spine and spinal cord. Spinal cord injuries often require long-term care, affect your ability to move, and strain your bank account. If you’ve suffered a spinal cord injury at work or in an auto accident, you can talk with a spinal cord injury lawyer about your next steps.

Common causes of spinal cord injuries in the workplace

The reality of workplace spinal cord injuries is this: Most are preventable. These injuries tend to happen because employers do not control hazards. Workers in any industry in Tennessee are at risk, but those in construction, warehousing, manufacturing, and transportation are especially vulnerable.

Falling from a height

Spinal cord trauma often happens when workers fall from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, or other elevated platforms. Employees are at a higher risk of falling at jobs with improper fall protection, missing guardrails, or cluttered walkways.

Being struck by something or being caught in between

Sometimes, boxes, tools, or materials fall from shelves, and nothing bad happens. Other times, the outcomes are catastrophic. Falling objects can hit workers and even pin them, causing spinal cord trauma. Items fall for many reasons, including:

• Overstacking
• Bad loading
• Improper securing or balancing
• Damaged or poorly maintained shelving
• Vibrations

Spinal cord injuries also occur when heavy machines strike workers. Take an overhead crane. It may shift suddenly, and its moving load could pin a worker to a wall or support column. Likewise, when heavy machinery jolts suddenly or crushes someone, the impact on the spine is dangerous.

Being in a vehicle crash

Delivery drivers, truck drivers, and other workers on the road face various threats. A collision could result in neck and spinal injuries that require years of treatment. Bureau of Labor Statistics data consistently shows transportation incidents as the leading cause of fatal occupational injuries in Tennessee, followed by categories such as falls and contact with objects or equipment.

Repeating the same movements over time

Spinal injuries or degenerative spine conditions can sometimes develop from gradual strain or repetitive lifting over time. For example, many employees perform heavy lifting for years and stress their spines. Regular, everyday activities such as twisting while carrying a load or reaching overhead could be the final straw that leads to sudden, severe spinal cord injuries.

If you are hurt at work, consider speaking with a workplace accidents lawyer. You might be eligible for workers’ compensation and perhaps other types of compensation if other third parties share liability. For instance, if you are hurt in a car crash while working, the at-fault driver might be liable.

Workers’ compensation vs. personal injury claim

Workers’ compensation generally covers work-related injuries regardless of fault. However, it does not compensate for pain and suffering, and the other benefits tend not to be enough to cover severe injuries such as spinal cord trauma. Depending on the circumstances, you might be able to pursue both workers’ compensation and personal injury claims. A personal injury lawyer can explain more.

Common causes of spinal cord injuries in auto accidents

The newest cars are safer in many ways, but they still cannot eliminate the risk of spinal cord injuries. The spine can be incredibly strong yet incredibly fragile. It cannot always absorb the intense forces an auto crash creates.

In other words, negligent drivers remain a top cause of spinal cord injuries due to their speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and other actions. At-fault drivers usually bear responsibility for spinal cord injuries and other injuries, but other parties, such as vehicle manufacturers, may share liability.

Colliding at high speeds

Higher-speed crashes are bad news. These high speeds cause people to whip even more violently than they would at a lower speed, and spines may twist or compress.

Being hit from behind

Rear-end collisions may cause whiplash, which is bad enough in itself. More severe rear-end crashes can result in cervical spine and spinal cord damage that leads to chronic pain, nerve damage, paralysis, very restricted mobility, and life-altering disabilities.

Being hit from the side

Side-impact crashes, also called T-bone crashes, can be dangerous because the sides of a car offer less protection than the front and back. When a force crashes into someone directly from the side, it puts extreme stress on the spine.

Rolling over

Vehicle rollovers can mean multiple points of impact for the body and spine, and they happen in quick succession.

• Roof crush can mean vertical compression of the spine
• Side impacts can throw a person laterally into windows or doors and stress the spine
• Ground impacts can create repeated slams onto the spine each time the vehicle hits the road
• Partial or complete ejection may result in massive spinal trauma

Moreover, if you are a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian, you do not have the protection of a vehicle frame. Your spine is at even more risk.

The stakes are high with spinal cord injuries, whether they happen in the workplace or in an auto accident. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer helps preserve your rights. Contact Wagner Workers’ Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers today.