Every workplace has its share of risks and hazards. One of the most common injuries you can sustain at work is an injury to the neck. Depending on the severity, injury to the neck can cause crippling pain and greatly disrupt your life.
If you sustain a neck injury or any other injury at work, you might be entitled to financial restitution through the employer-funded workers’ compensation program. To successfully pursue damages, however, you need to prove that your injuries are work-related. So how do neck injuries happen at work?
Leading causes of neck injuries at work
On-the-job neck injuries are caused by a number of factors. Here are some of them:
Car accidents – Workers who drive for a living are at a greater risk of getting involved in car crashes. During the impact, the accident victim can experience a violent back-and-forth movement of the neck muscles. This type of injury is known as whiplash and it’s characterized by stiffness of the neck, persistent headache at the base of the skull, fatigue and dizziness.
Trips, slips and falls – these accidents can be caused by loose cables, wet floors, poor lighting, faulty scaffolds and slippery surfaces among other hazards. Trips, slips and falls can lead to neck injuries, especially if you land your neck on a hard or pointed object. They can also cause spinal injuries, whiplash as well as other types of trauma to the neck.
Fighting for your rights after a neck injury at work
If you sustain an injury to your neck following a work-related accident, it is important that you take the right steps while pursuing the damages you are entitled to. This involves reporting your injuries to your employer within 90 days, seeking treatment and filing your claim within the statute of limitations period.
Workplace accidents can be sudden and life-altering. Find out how you can safeguard your rights and interests while pursuing workers’ comp damages in Iowa.
