Could You Use Financial Assistance After a Knee Injury on the Job?
You can injure your knee on the job if you slip and fall, when you jump down from a truck or platform, if you bump into something, or if something bumps into you.
And with no warning, you’re facing severe pain, doctor’s appointments, medications, and possibly even extended physical therapy.
Depending on what type of knee injury you sustained and its severity, you could be looking at anywhere from a few weeks to a year or more of recovery and missed work. And if you can’t work, you worry about how you’re going to stay afloat financially.
But it’s not the end of the road. As an employee in Louisiana, you can file a workers’ compensation claim. The financial benefits you get from workers’ comp can help you maintain the lifestyle you worked hard to build.
So how do you do it?
A workers’ compensation lawyer can answer your questions, ensure that your workers’ comp claim is filed correctly, and help make sure you get the kind of medical care you need.
Across Louisiana—Metairie, New Orleans, Hammond, the Northshore, Baton Rouge, Houma, Lafayette, Alexandria, Shreveport, Monroe—after you’re hurt at work, talk to us.
The experienced Louisiana workers’ comp lawyers at Workers’ Compensation, LLC, are ready to help.
Workers’ Comp Is What We Do.
Louisiana Workers’ Comp for Knee Injuries: Any Worker Can Hurt Their Knees
Knee injuries often bring to mind images of athletes running, twisting, jumping, and falling. But there are plenty of ways that workers can sustain knee injuries on the job.
Results of a study published in the Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine, on work-related knee injuries treated in emergency rooms in the United States, revealed that out of a total of 3.4 million injuries in a recent one-year period:
- 5% of the injuries were knee injuries.
- 38% of knee injuries were caused by a fall.
- 33% of knee injuries involved a combination of slips and trips without a fall and falls on the same level.
You could injure your knee in any type of occupation, but some industries put you more at risk than others. Service industries accounted for one-third of emergency occupational knee injuries:
- Health Care and Social Assistance workers had the highest share of knee injuries at 19%.
- Public Administration, which includes law enforcement and firefighting, had the second-highest portion of knee injuries.
- The Agriculture and Construction sectors had the next highest number of knee injuries.
Does this sound like you? It’s a free call for you to find out more about how your job injury could be eligible for financial relief from workers’ compensation benefits.
Types of Knee Injuries You Could Get Workers’ Compensation Benefits for in Louisiana
Knees are a relatively small part of the body, but can be injured in a surprising number of ways. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons lists the many different types of knee injuries:
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injuries are one of the most common knee injuries. Torn ACLs may require surgery depending on the severity of your injury and your activity level.
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injuries These can be caused by a blow to the front of the knee while the knee is bent. PCL tears tend to be partial tears with the potential to heal on their own.
- Collateral Ligament Injuries Injuries to the ligaments on the sides of the knee are usually caused by a force that pushes the knee sideways.
- Meniscal Tears Tears in the meniscus (the cartilage between the upper and lower leg bones) can occur when twisting or pivoting.
- Tendon Tears The quadriceps muscles in the front of the thighs and the patellar tendons (which attach the bottom of the kneecap to the top of the shinbone) can be stretched and torn.
- Fractures The most common bone broken around the knee is the patella (kneecap). The ends of the femur and tibia, where they meet to form the knee joint, can also be fractured.
- Dislocation When the bones of the knee are out of place, either completely or partially.
And getting the pay for lost wages and your medical treatment covered makes a difference in your life while you’re healing.
If you’ve just been injured, if you’re ready to apply for workers’ comp benefits, or if you’ve been turned down for benefits, our experienced Louisiana workers’ comp lawyers can help. We’ve helped thousands of people win millions in benefits.
We handle the bureaucratic legwork with workers’ comp insurance, so you don’t have to worry about it. Most of all, we listen and advocate for you.
If you’re in Louisiana, call us if you were hurt at work.