The state of Georgia employs thousands of workers in manufacturing plants, lumber mills, meat processing plants, production facilities, and in the construction industry. While these industries vary greatly in nature, the employees who work in these industries on a daily basis do have one thing in common – the potential for devastating hand injuries. It’s hard to imagine what you would do without your hands until you severely injure or lose one or both of them in a workplace accident or another type of accident in Georgia. Hand injuries can be painful and can severely limit your ability to perform even the simplest of daily tasks, never mind those required of you at work. If you have suffered a serious hand injury in Georgia, our experienced hand injury attorneys at Rechtman & Spevak can help.
Common Types of Hand Injuries in Atlanta
The hand is a complex, dynamic structure that gives us the opportunity to experience sensation and mobility. Unfortunately, hand injuries are extremely common in the United States, accounting for nearly 5-10% of injuries encountered by emergency departments and 17% of all workday loss injuries. Some of the most common types of hand injuries in Atlanta include:
- Amputation
- Severe burn injuries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Crush injuries
- Wrist and hand fractures
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
Hand injuries can be categorized in one of two ways depending on the circumstances in which the injury occurs. Traumatic hand injuries are caused by some sort of acute trauma to the hand, wrist or fingers, including severe burns, crush injuries, wrist and hand fractures, and amputation injuries. Repetitive use injuries, on the other hand, describe a situation in which a repetitive motion causes injury over a period of time.
Hand Injury Treatment and Recovery
A single hand consists of 27 bones, including the eight bones in the wrist, as well as critical arteries, nerves, muscles, veins, tendons, joint cartilage and ligaments. When all of these important structures are taken into consideration, there is significant opportunity for a variety of devastating injuries affecting the hand. Because of the range of possible hand injuries, treatment varies depending on the type and severity of the injury. While less serious hand injuries like lacerations and fractures may call for treatments like stitches or splinting, more severe hand injuries like amputation or crush injuries typically involve more advanced medical care, including surgery. Unfortunately, severe hand injuries often require extensive recovery and rehabilitation, sometimes preventing victims from returning to work temporarily or indefinitely. Repetitive use injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome, for example, can lead to permanent, crippling complications like weakness, numbness and possibly even muscle damage in the hand and fingers.
Pursuing Compensation for Hand Injuries in Atlanta and Marietta
Some of the most common causes of hand injuries in Georgia involve workplace accidents like falls from buildings or use of dangerous power tools or machinery on the job. Other types of on-the-job hand injuries may involve repetitive use injuries caused by repetitive motions like typing or sewing. If you have suffered a serious hand injury caused by an on-the-job accident in Georgia, you may be eligible for medical benefits under Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws. If your hand injury has prevented you from returning to work for sustained periods of time, you may be entitled to Georgia workers’ compensation disability benefits.
Contact Our Hand Injury Attorneys Today
While some hand injuries are serious enough to keep you out of work, others can also cause you significant physical pain and emotional suffering. If you have sustained a hand injury caused by an accident in Georgia, contact our qualified hand personal injury lawyers at Rechtman & Spevak today. Our Atlanta law office has years of experience representing hand injury victims and victims of other personal injuries in Georgia. With the help of our skilled attorneys, victims of hand injuries in Atlanta, Marietta, and in other parts of Georgia can protect their legal rights and pursue financial compensation for their injuries and medical bills.
