Lifting Injuries in the Airline Industry

Lawyers for Employees Harmed at Work in Chicago

Many airline industry workers face the risk of lifting injuries. Airline work often requires the hauling and lifting of heavy things. Those who work in this industry, including everyone from baggage handlers to flight attendants, may need to lift heavy objects on a regular basis. If you have been subject to lifting injuries in the airline industry, you can talk to a skilled Chicago workers’ compensation attorney about your situation. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, our seasoned legal team may be able to help you explore your legal options and obtain benefits.

Lifting Injuries in the Airline Industry

There are numerous types of injuries that can result from lifting while on the job in the airline industry. You may suffer shoulder impingement syndrome, in which the rotator cuff becomes swollen and inflamed, resulting in pain in the front and side of the upper arm and shoulder. There are situations in which the rotator cuff gets torn, which is extremely painful and results in in weakness. Sometimes lifting injuries involve the back, which may be strained or even sprained. Sprains are acute injuries involving torn or stretched ligaments. If lifting resulted in you using your back muscles instead of your leg muscles, you can suffer a herniated disc. This occurs if a disc between the vertebrae slides out of its proper place or, worse, ruptures. Most sprains and strains are treated with rest, ice compression and elevation. However, serious injuries may need to be surgically repaired.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Lifting Injuries

Lifting injuries are a major reason why workers need to file workers’ compensation benefits claims. Overexertion while lifting, in particular, is common. If you suffered lifting injuries on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits can include coverage for medical bills, disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation. The degree of benefits to which you’re entitled will depend on the severity and nature of your lifting injuries, and whether they stop you from doing work. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, which means you don’t need to show your employer was at fault for your lifting injuries, nor can your employer claim you shouldn’t get benefits because you lifted something incorrectly and therefore were injured. You simply must be able to show that the lifting injury arose at work. A seasoned work injury lawyer can help you gather the necessary information in support of your claim.

You are entitled to have your reasonable medical expenses for an on-the job lifting injury paid by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer. You may also need time off work, and if you do, you can receive temporary total disability benefits, temporary partial disability benefits, permanent total disability benefits, or permanent partial disability benefits. However, the first three workdays of disability won’t be paid until you have reached at least 14 days of being unable to work. You can get these benefits until your doctor decides you’ve reached maximum medical improvement.

Temporary total disability benefits equal 2/3 of your average weekly wage up to a certain maximum cap. Sometimes, however, you may not be left totally disabled by a lifting injury.

Perhaps you’re able to come back to part-time work or light duty. In that case, you may be paid less than your customary wages, and you may be entitled to temporary partial disability benefits. These benefits will be equivalent to 2/3 of the difference between what you could have earned prior to the injury and what you’re making now.

Once you reach maximum medical improvement, you can be evaluated for permanent disability. Those who remain permanently and totally disabled as a result of lifting injuries can continue to get weekly payments at the temporary total disability rate for life. There are other benefits available for permanent partial disability, including wage differential benefits, unscheduled losses, scheduled losses, and disfigurement.

Dedicated Chicago Attorneys for Workers’ Compensation Claims

If you have suffered lifting injuries in the airline industry in Chicago, you can speak with a seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer regarding your rights. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, we represent workers injured in Rockford, Champaign, Quincy, and Aurora, along with Cook, Winnebago, Sangamon, Kane, and Adams Counties. We examine the circumstances of our clients’ injuries to decide whether there are also other avenues for relief. Contact us at 312-724-5846 or by completing our online form.