Harrisburg Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Home health workers injured in accidents have recourse

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates on Wednesday, February 19, 2020.

Home health workers like nurses, aides, and physical and occupational therapists face hazards that their colleagues who work in hospitals and medical offices don't. They can face vicious dogs, get cornered by irate family members of their patients and have to travel regularly to sketchy neighborhoods.

But probably the most common hazards they face are the dangers they encounter while driving to and from their patients' homes. Home health care workers often cover a lot of ground when seeing their patients. In some cases, that can mean that they wind up injured in accidents while driving on the job.

How does stress adversely impact workers?

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates posted in workplace illness on Wednesday, February 19, 2020.

Do you have a stressful job? If so, then the way that you feel could be adversely impacting your health. A recent Psychosomatic Medicine journal article captured how individuals who hold down demanding jobs are 45% more likely to become diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes than others with less stressful careers. Other studies show that stress adversely affects workers in many other ways too.

A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study revealed that workers who have stressful jobs have up to 50% higher medical expenses than those who don't. CDC data also shows that the longer a worker endures stress, the more likely that they are to develop psychological and musculoskeletal conditions or cardiovascular disease.

When does workers' compensation cover physical therapy?

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates posted in Workers' Compensation on Monday, February 17, 2020.

Physical therapy (PT) is often part of a person's healing process. People who have suffered injuries often require PT to help regain mobility they may have lost due to the injury. It's often necessary after surgery for that same reason. PT can also help ease the pain caused by injuries and help people who have suffered a disabling injury live as normal a life as possible.

Therefore, if you've suffered an injury on the job, your workers' compensation benefits should cover PT as well as your medical care, right? After all, isn't PT a form of medical care?

Get the right treatment for a meniscus tear

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.

A meniscus tear is a serious knee injury that can cause a variety of symptoms, along with both pain and discomfort. Some of these symptoms include:

Swelling
Pain if you touch the area
Difficulty walking and/or bending your knee
The feeling that your knee gives out when you put weight on it
The feeling that your knee catches when you attempt to bend it

If you suspect a meniscus tear, a visit to your doctor or the emergency room is critical. Your medical team will run a variety of tests to pinpoint the injury and better understand what type of treatment is best for you.

Hit while driving for work? Your case could be complex

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates on Monday, February 10, 2020.

Working in your field, you often get into situations where you have to drive for work. Whether it's driving to a client's site or heading from your workplace to an off-site work meeting, there is always a potential that you could be driving on the job and get into a crash.

If someone hits you while you're driving for work, the truth is that you could have a complicated situation on your hands. You could have a right to workers' compensation, but the driver who is at fault may also be liable. It can be hard to know how to file a claim, and the last thing you want to do is to file the wrong kind.

Why car-pedestrian accidents remain a problem

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates on Thursday, February 6, 2020.

Imagine a situation in which you're walking from your office building to your vehicle. You're paying attention to everything that's happening around you, when a driver suddenly makes a mistake that causes an accident.

Now, your life is turned upside down, as you're dealing with serious injuries that could impact you for the rest of your life.

A dislocated ankle requires immediate treatment

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates on Thursday, February 6, 2020.

It's easy to take the health of your ankles for granted, but if you suffer an injury you'll soon realize just how important this body part is to your quality of life.

A dislocated ankle is a serious injury that requires immediate medical treatment. Neglecting to treat this injury in a timely manner can result in additional damage and complications, as well as a longer recovery period.

Can you answer these construction site accident questions?

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates on Thursday, February 6, 2020.

If you work in the construction industry, you don't need anyone to tell you that it's a rewarding and fast-paced career with the potential to fulfill your professional goals.

And you also don't need anyone to tell you that a construction site is full of danger.

What you need to know about Legionnaires' Disease

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates posted in workplace illness on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

If you work in a large office building that has a water system or where your bosses regularly run a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit, then you'll want to listen up. This equipment could be releasing a harmful bacteria known as Legionella into the water or air making you sick.

This harmful bacteria often builds up in the industrial water lines or HVAC outputs that aren't serviced as frequently as they should be. Workers most commonly come into contact with Legionella by inhaling fine mists or through the consumption of water droplets.

Do you suspect a concussion?

On behalf of Marzzacco Niven & Associates on Monday, February 3, 2020.

Any time you suffer a blow to the head, it's critical to stop what you're doing, pay attention to your health and decide if you need to seek medical treatment.

A concussion is a serious brain injury that can cause a variety of physical and mental symptoms and side effects, including but not limited to loss of consciousness, dizziness, vomiting and extreme headaches.