Employees in the Automotive Industry Injured on the Job

Workers’ compensation insurance is designed to help employees who are injured while on the job. Regardless of how safe your job may seem you do face the possibility of being injured daily when the job. The automotive industry remains in demand, and because of the higher paying salaries and the more advanced equipment more people are wanting to work for the automotive manufacturers.

While most automotive manufacturers were in the greater Detroit, Michigan, area at one time, today there are factories across the U.S., including the BMW factory in Columbia, S.C.; the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn.; the Nissan plant in Smyrna, Tenn.; Kia Motors manufacturing in Georgia; and Honda Motors in Ohio.

There are dozens of automotive manufacturing plants scattered throughout the U.S. Each of these plants employ hundreds or even thousands of employees who put their health on the line every day because they repetitively do labor intensive work.

Jobs in the automotive industry are labor intensive, union-backed, and can be very dangerous. Many people just consider blunt traumatic injury, which should be covered by workers’ compensation, many employees also suffer repetitive motion injuries, which are also covered by workers’ compensation. Auto workers often experienced torn rotator cuffs and carpal tunnel because of repetitive hand and arm motion.

These are injuries not caused by a single accident, but they result from the continuous use and repetitive motion that cause a cumulative effect that results in the painful injury. An automotive worker may also experience these kinds of injuries to the legs and feet, which would be tarsal tunnel syndrome resulting from standing all day.

Proving repetitive occupational injuries can be a challenge. Workers’ comp judges will rely on medical evidence as well as the reports provided by the injured worker to his or her supervisor and the human resources department. It will also focus on the kind of job the employee has held at the factory. The workers’ comp judge will consider how long the employee was working at that particular job as well.

Serious Work Injuries in the Automotive Industry

There are automotive industry employees who suffer serious injuries while on the job every year. There was a Tennessee General Motors employee whose orthopedic surgeon gave her the permanent restriction that she cannot use her right arm after being injured on the job. She was awarded a $790,115.16 trial court judgment which will pay her until age 67.

There was another female worker who injured her low back while working at the General Motors automotive assembly plant in Tennessee. She had to undergo a series of epidural steroid injections because of the severity of her pain. That treatment protocol caused rare complications, which lead to a debilitating disorder called arachnoiditis.

Because of the severity of her injury and the complications, she was not able to work for anyone again. Because she had experienced previous injuries the State of Tennessee Second Injury Fund paid $106,000 toward the settlement fund in addition to General Motors’ lump sum of $285,000. In addition to the total settlement of $391,000, she will have free life-long medical care for the injury.

Get Legal Advice

There are literally hundreds of ways you can be injured while working in an automotive manufacturing plant. If you experience an on-the-job injury, regardless of whether it is one accident or a problem resulting from repetitive trauma, you should consult with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney.

Workers’ compensation is complex and detailed. You need to have all of your records and documentation in order to prove your claim, and you need to have an attorney working on your behalf to face off with the attorneys that are going to be working with workers’ compensation to get the smallest possible settlement.

As soon as you realize you are suffering from an on-the-job injury, consult with legal counsel to protect your rights and to ensure your best interests are protected. A work-related injury can impact you for years to come, so it is imperative that your family’s well-being, financial stability, and your medical care are given top priority.

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