Types of Workplace Accidents in Pittsburgh

Although there are a wide variety of injuries and illnesses that may occur because of your work, below are some of the most common:

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)

This is a sudden injury that causes damage to the brain. Symptoms can be mild, moderate, or severe. Concussions are a type of TBI, while a more serious injury can lead to physical and psychological symptoms, coma, and even death.

In a 2019 study on workplace-related TBIs, researchers found that about 80 percent of them were preventable. Nearly 25 percent of workers reported that they didn’t receive job training, and nearly 50 percent said they didn’t receive safety training. Less than half were supervised.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury typically stems from a sudden, traumatic blow to the spine that dislocates, fractures, compresses, or crushes the vertebrae, ligaments, or discs of the spinal column. Bleeding, swelling, inflammation, and fluid accumulation in and around the spinal cord can create additional damage.

These injuries can cause paralysis, loss of bowel or bladder control, changes in sexual function, pain and suffering, difficulty breathing, and more. In a 2018 study on workplace spinal injuries, researchers found that falls led to 50 percent of the injuries, predominantly falls from building/structures, ladders, or between levels. Falls occurred most commonly in the construction industry (78 percent).

Severe Crushing Injuries

A workplace crushing injury typically occurs when all or part of a worker’s body is caught between two large pieces of machinery. A worker hit by a forklift, for instance, may suffer from a crushed arm or leg.

These injuries can lead to permanent loss of use of a limb, amputations, or even death. In a 2017 study, researchers noted that a crushing injury “is one of the most severe and traumatic injuries an employee can sustain in the workplace.” They added that the injury not only has a direct effect on the individual’s immediate health but also potentially on their future employment and long-term earnings.

Broken Bones

If a worker falls from a ladder, slips and falls, or suffers a crushing injury, he or she may end up with one or more broken bones. Delivery drivers and transportation workers who get into accidents may also suffer these injuries, as might those working with certain types of heavy or fast-moving machinery.

Sometimes the bone breaks in just one place, but other times it may break in multiple locations, or it may shatter. Most of these injuries can be treated, but they can keep workers away from their jobs for an extended period.

Paraplegia and Quadriplegia

Paraplegia occurs when the worker is paralyzed from the waist down. Quadriplegia refers to paralysis of the entire body from the neck down. These injuries are usually caused by brain, neck, or spinal cord trauma, and they can cause lasting damage to the worker and his or her family. They also affect the worker’s ability to return to their job or get a job in the future.

Back and Neck Injuries

These types of injuries may result from sudden trauma or cumulative stress. Strained muscles, compressed nerves, worn joints, injured ligaments, and more can cause lasting pain, headaches, and other symptoms requiring treatment and sometimes surgery.

Common types of back and neck injuries include whiplash, herniated discs, nerve damage, and spinal cord injuries, which can lead to a loss of movement or difficulty moving, tingling and numbness, balance problems, and more.

Internal Bleeding and Organ Damage

Some workplace accidents can cause internal organ damage and bleeding. A trauma or collision may damage blood vessels inside the body, leading to hemorrhaging and potentially causing serious complications.

Common workplace incidences that may lead to this type of injury include falls, being caught between machinery or large objects, being struck by heavy equipment, motor vehicle accidents (cars, trucks, forklifts), and violent assaults.

Burns

Open flames, hot objects, explosions, chemicals, electric current, and even sun exposure can cause workers to suffer from serious burns. These range in severity from first-degree, in which there is minimal damage to the surface level of the skin, to fourth-degree, in which all skin layers are affected and there is potential damage to the muscle, tendons, and bone.

Workplace burn injuries are often caused by electrical currents, when electricity flows through the body, or when the skin comes into contact with overheated electrical equipment. Chemical burns are also a concern.

Electrocutions and Electric Shock

Electrical accidents sometimes occur because of faulty equipment, but more often, the cause is inadequate training or supervision. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) states there were 126 electrical fatalities in 2020 in the U.S., with the mining industry having the highest rate of fatal electrical injuries, followed by the construction industry.

These injuries may be caused by direct exposure to electricity, such as touching a live wire, or via indirect exposure, such as coming into contact with something unintentionally conducting electricity.

Illnesses from Exposure to Substances

According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), chemical hazards and toxic substances “pose a wide range of health hazards,” including carcinogenicity. Employers are responsible for reducing workers’ exposure to toxins and must provide employees with respiratory protection where needed.

In a 2020 study, researchers noted that while improvements have been made, occupational exposure to chemical and biological agents “is still causing excessive disease in workforces worldwide.”

Cuts and Lacerations

These are common workplace injuries, with the majority occurring to the hands and fingers. They can range from minor abrasions to serious and even life-threatening puncture wounds, deep lacerations, or amputation injuries.

Poor lighting, debris, and clutter can increase the risk of these injuries, as can machinery that’s missing its safety guards. Working too fast or failing to wear protective equipment can also lead to cuts and lacerations.

Repetitive Motion Injuries (RMIs)

When you have to perform the same types of movements over and over again, day after day, they can cause repetitive motion injuries, also called repetitive strain injuries. They’re caused by an extended buildup of damage to the muscles, tendons, and nerves, typically because the worker lacks appropriate ergonomic equipment, or is required to perform movements that repeatedly strain these areas.

RMIs may not be immediately serious, but they can take a long time to heal and may affect an injured worker’s life for many years. Treatments often require extended time off of work, physical therapy, medications, injections, and even surgery. The injuries may eventually prevent the worker from being able to do their job.

Common RMIs include tendon-related disorders and peripheral nerve entrapment disorders (like carpal tunnel syndrome).

Strains from Overexertion

Overexertion is a frequent cause of workplace injuries—even more frequent than RMIs. They can occur when employees use excessive physical effort to do a job, such as lifting, pulling, pushing, turning, wielding, holding, carrying, or throwing in a way that overtaxes their muscles and joints.

The resulting injuries may include tendon tears, joint dislocations, inflamed connective tissues, sprains, strains, back pain, and more.

These types of injuries can also occur when workers become fatigued and overestimate their ability to perform a physical task. The majority of these injuries occur to the back, causing low back pain. Workers may also overexert when performing jobs in which they were not properly trained.

Amputations

In 2018, work-related amputations resulted in 6,200 cases with days away from work, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That year, over half (58 percent) of the cases involved some type of machinery.

These are some of the most serious and debilitating work injuries. They occur most often when workers operate unguarded or inadequately safeguarded machinery, including power presses, conveyors, rollbending machines, food slicers, drill presses, and more.

Employers are responsible for identifying, managing, and controlling amputation hazards commonly found in the workplace.

Vision and Hearing Damage

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that hearing loss is among the most common work-related illnesses since workers are faced with occupational noise hazards every day. They add that almost all work-related hearing loss is permanent, and can have a profound effect on the quality of life. Hearing loss can also impact future safety at home and on the job.

Workplace injuries are also a leading cause of eye trauma, vision loss, disability, and blindness, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Every day, more than 2,000 U.S. workers receive medical treatment because of work-related eye injuries, with more than 800,000 eye injuries occurring annually. Like hearing loss, vision loss can affect a person’s ability to perform his or her job, or carry out everyday activities.

Death

The BLS states that a worker died every 111 minutes from a work-related injury in 2020. The consequences are severe not only for the worker but for his or her family. In one recent study, researchers acknowledged this, finding that survivors suffer from serious health, social, and financial consequences, including prolonged grief and unresolved loss, physical health problems, family disruption, and behavioral effects on children.

Top Professions with Work Injuries in Pittsburgh

The BLS states that in the Pittsburgh area, falls, slips, and trips resulted in most of the workplace fatalities in 2018. Violence and other injuries by persons or animals, transportation incidents, and exposure to harmful substances or environments were also high on the list.

Construction Workers

In 2018, the private construction industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in the Pittsburgh area.

Though nationally, transportation occupations typically suffer more deaths, construction was more deadly in the Pittsburgh area. The BLS did note that transportation and material occupations and construction and extraction occupations combined “had the highest number of workplace fatalities…” in Pittsburgh.

Those at risk included roofers and construction trade workers.

Transportation Workers

Transportation and material moving usually end up at the top of the list for workplace injuries and deaths. This was the case for the entire state of Pennsylvania in 2019. That year, transportation incidents resulted in 62 fatal work injuries, up from 53 from the year before.

The BLS stated that workers in these occupations, nationally, experienced over 184,000 injuries and illnesses in 2018 that resulted in days away from work. In 2020, transportation incidents remained the most frequent type of fatal event with 1,778 fatal injuries, accounting for 37.3 percent of all work-related fatalities.

In the Pittsburgh area, transportation workers include freight, stock, and material movers, as well as heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers. Both of these groups were in the top five occupations at risk for injuries and fatalities, just behind health care workers (see below).

Contracted Workers

These are workers that are employed by one firm, but working at the behest of another that exercises responsibility for the operations at the worksite. In 2018, contracted workers were at risk of fatal work injuries, with three deaths that year in the Pittsburgh area.

Nurses and Nursing Assistants

According to BLS 2020 data, nursing assistants suffered from the most injuries of any profession, with 96,480 recorded nationally. Licensed practical and vocational nurses were second, increasing by 58,590 cases over 2019.

The health care and social assistance sector had a total number of injury and illness cases that increased by 40.1 percent in 2020.

Other Industries and Occupations

In 2020, according to BLS data, other industries with a significant risk of workplace injuries and fatalities in Pennsylvania included the following:

• Agricultural, forestry, fishing, and hunting
• Manufacturing
• Wholesale and retail trade
• Leisure and hospitality

How to Select a Workplace Injury Attorney in Pittsburgh

If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a workplace accident, you need a lawyer with experience in workplace injury lawsuits to assist you.  

Though workers’ compensation is designed to help cover your expenses, insurance companies are known to look for loopholes that allow them to minimize payouts or even deny work injury claims completely.

At Chaffin Luhana, we thoroughly investigate your case, tracking down and interviewing witnesses, gathering photo and video evidence, collecting documents and reports, and crafting a negotiating strategy that works in your favor.

We’re happy to meet with you to go over the details of what happened. We’ll give you the information you need to determine whether you’d like to work with us.

What Our Clients Have to Say About Chaffin Luhana

Below is a small sampling of the testimonials we have received from our clients:

Fuel Gel Burn Victim

“Just wanted to thank you again for giving us the opportunity to enjoy life as a family. I feel very blessed to have people like you in my life.”

– Jason P., Product Liability Injury Client

Automobile Accident Victim

“I called a couple other firms and they said they wouldn’t take [my case] because of limited tort. Chaffin Luhana did. They’re trying to help you when you’re in pain and I thought that was great. [The firm] called and let [me] know what was going on, like [I was] family.”

– Judy H., Consumer Client

Seven Figure Recovery

“Dear Eric: To a dear friend with a heart of gold. You bring much-needed ethics and dignity to the law profession. You have made a profound impact on my life.”

– Anonymous, Client

Over $1.5 Million Recovery

“As a client of this firm, I would highly recommend this firm for the experience, consideration, and quality they as a group showed.

– Anonymous, Personal Injury Client

Find more testimonials here.

Dedication to Community

Law partners Eric Chaffin and Roopal Luhana, along with their families, established The Chaffin Luhana Foundation in 2010.

A not-for-profit organization, the Foundation encourages the development of human potential and supports community empowerment through the following activities:

• Scholarships: Chaffin Luhana Foundation awards an annual scholarship to a student who helps us in the fight against distracted driving by submitting an inspiring personal essay.
• Financial gifts: The Foundation awards periodic financial gifts to institutions of higher learning to support scientific research and funds educational scholarships to students.
• Stephanie Victor Legacy Award: The Chaffin Luhana Foundation awards an annual financial gift to one deserving individual who overcame significant challenges and achieved great milestones in his or her life or career.
• Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: Chaffin Luhana has partnered with this organization to benefit those living with spinal cord injuries and paralysis.
• Najee Harris Partnership: We have partnered with Pittsburgh Running Back, Najee Harris, and his Da’ Bigger Picture Foundation to support those in need in the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Firm Awards

The founding partners of Chaffin Luhana have extensive experience in fighting for plaintiffs’ rights:

• Founder Eric Chaffin: Chaffin has handled a wide array of cases against various types of manufacturers, with dozens of multimillion-dollar recoveries.  
• Founder Roopal Luhana: Luhana manages the firm’s mass torts division. Throughout her career, she has served on committees in MDLs involving over-the-counter consumer products and defective pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
• Partner Patrick Booth: Booth enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help his clients obtain the best results possible in their personal injury cases.

Chaffin Luhana lawyers have also been named to the prestigious “Super Lawyers” list several years in a row.