Crush injuries often have severe and lifelong consequences for an individual, and because they often occur in the workplace, additional complexities arise when it comes to recovering adequate compensation.
With that being said, if you are in need of crush injury compensation, it’s in your best interests to first understand what crush injuries are, how they occur, and the possible compensation victims receive for them. The safest way to ensure you recover the crush injury compensation you need is to consult a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after you’re injured.
What are Crush Injuries?
Crush injuries occur when some form of immense force or pressure is exerted on a body part. They can involve nearly any body part, at that, though some of the most common include the following:
- Hands
- Feet
- Arms
- Legs
- Torso
Such extreme circumstances generally cause permanent damage to any of the following components of the crushed body part:
- Bones
- Nerves
- Muscles
- Blood vessels
A crush injury is often one of the most difficult types of injury to treat, as there are often limited ways in which a medical team can assist.
Unfortunately, complicating matters further is the fact that crushing injuries can result from a variety of accident types, and the circumstances under which a crush injury occurs have a direct impact on whether the injured person qualifies for compensation.
How do Crush Injuries Happen?
Crush injuries can happen in a variety of ways, though motor vehicle accidents and workplace accidents are two of the most common sources.
Car accidents often lead to crushing injuries, given the high likelihood of one of the drivers becoming trapped between the two vehicles. In certain crashes, like rollovers, it’s also possible for a driver to become pinned to the ground by one of the vehicles, and given that even the smallest cars weigh thousands of pounds, it’s easy to see how a body part could easily shatter under a vehicle.
As for crush injuries that result from workplace accidents, construction zones, manufacturing plants, and industrial workplaces commonly use machines, vehicles, and other types of equipment that are mobile or have moving parts. When equipment malfunctions or a worker is caught in the wrong place, the result is often a crush injury.
Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer
Crush injuries generally lead to the need for injury compensation. Even if a full recovery is possible, healing from a crush injury is a lengthy process, during which the victim is likely to incur medical bills and lose out on the wages they need to cover their living expenses.
When an injury is severe enough, a victim may never be able to return to work, meaning they’ll need to seek either compensation for their anticipated future income or some type of disability benefits.
However, obtaining crash injury compensation isn’t always easy, and the outcome of the process depends on the circumstances leading to the injury. For example, if you are an employee and were injured on the job, compensation will likely come through your employer’s workers’ comp policy. In such a case, you want a worker’s compensation lawyer to handle your claim, ensuring you aren’t offered a lower payout than you deserve.
If you were injured in some other type of accident, like a car crash, or if you are a contract worker not covered by worker’s comp, the process becomes more complicated, as you’ll need a personal injury attorney working to prove liability, identify case value, and negotiate a settlement with the responsible party.
Call a New Mexico Personal Injury Lawyer Today
Hunt Law has been fighting for injured clients across New Mexico for over 20 years. Our case results show that we know how to obtain the results our clients need, so do not hesitate to call us today to schedule a consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer.