When Factory Workers Are Hurt on the Job

Working with a skilled Delaware workers’ compensation attorney from Silverman, McDonald & Friedman can give you an advantage. We bring workers’ compensation claims on behalf of clients in and around Wilmington, Newark and Seaford.

Workers in manufacturing and production can face hazardous work environments. This is especially true for workers in industries like chemicals, food products, paper products, rubber and plastic, metals, and printed materials—all popular jobs here in Delaware. If you’re hurt (or a loved one was killed) while working in a factory, workers’ compensation can provide financial benefits while you heal from your injuries. You’re eligible for workers’ comp both in the event of a sudden accident or if your injury develops over time from repeated stress.

Common injuries among factory workers

Assembly line work in factories can present many hazards. Even though workers in manufacturing environments perform a variety of tasks, they face many similar risks on the job. These include:

• Repetitive motion injuries – Many factory workers develop injuries from repeating the same movement over and over on the assembly line. When you make repetitive movements continuously for long enough, the soft tissues in your body can start to wear down. The damaged tissues lose their cushioning properties and cause pain, loss of movement, and other problems.
• Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) – MSDs can result from overexertion. This is a common type of injury among factory and assembly line workers due to the nature of the job, which requires the body to have the stamina to do physical tasks like lifting, bending, crawling, or reaching, as well as staying on one’s feet all shift.
• Exposure to environmental toxins – Another threat to factory employee is coming into contact with or inhaling hazardous chemicals and toxins.
• Injuries from objects and equipment – Workers can become caught in equipment and suffer severe injuries, including being crushed or losing limbs.
• Transportation incidents – Some factory workers are also injured in transportation incidents inside warehouses, including accidents on forklifts.
• Fires or explosions – Fires within warehouses or manufacturing plants can quickly become deadly because of the highly combustible and flammable materials inside.

Other injuries common to warehouse workers include slips and falls, falling objects, overheating due to high temperatures, and malfunctioning machinery.

Workers’ compensation for factory workers

If you’re injured on the job in Delaware, you may be able to get your medical bills and losses covered. Workers’ comp laws prevent employees from suing their employers for on the job injuries. Instead, employers must purchase workers’ compensation insurance policies for their employees. Whenever an employee is injured at work—whether or not the employer was negligent—workers’ comp provides benefits while the employee is out of work.

These benefits cover medical bills as well as lost income due to partial, temporary, or total disability. If an employee is killed on the job, then workers’ compensation will cover death benefits for that employee’s dependents.

The dedicated Delaware workers’ compensation attorneys at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman are here to fight for your right to fair compensation after a workplace injury. No cost consultations are available at our office locations in Seaford, Wilmington and Newark. Call 302-888-2900 or fill out our contact form today.