One of the most common accidents faced by a large number of workers each year are lifting injuries. Individuals who are injured on the job lifting a heavy object or because of repetitive bending and lifting need to contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in order to get the benefits they are entitled to.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that lifting objects is a primary cause of work injuries. In recognition of this significant risk, the National Institute for Occupational Safety created a lifting index which uses six criteria to determine whether an object is safe to lift. The factors include:

  • The type of gripping needed to lift the object.
  • The distance that a worker needs to carry the object.
  • The number of lifts made by the worker.
  • The placement of a worker’s hands while the object was lifted.
  • Twisting motions that the workers needs to do in order to lift the object.
  • The weight of the object.

Some of the specific ways in which a worker’s back can be injured include the following:

  • Construction workers who must lift heavy objects or hold objects in place for an extended period of time.
  • Healthcare workers and nurses lifting patients or helping transport them in any way at hospitals, nursing homes, or other care facilities.
  • Operating heavy equipment.
  • Pushing patients in wheelchairs.
  • Stocking new inventory.
  • Unloading or loading cargo or parcels off delivery trucks.
  • Workers who fall while climbing ladders in the course of employment.

There are various injuries that can result from a lifting accident which include:

  • Bulging, protruding, slipped or herniated disks
  • Cervical radiculopathy
  • Compressed or fractured vertebrae
  • Degenerative disk disease
  • Cervical Neck injuries including muscle sprains and strains
  • Partial or permanent paralysis
  • Low back/lumbar injury resulting in Sciatica pain.
  • Spondylolisthesis
  • Torn ligaments, muscles, or tendons.
  • Whiplash and other soft tissue injuries.

There are some important safety precautions that workers should follow when lifting an object. These guidelines include:

  • Avoiding slippery or wet surfaces that could quickly lead to an accident.
  • Before lifting an object, assess its weight to determine how heavy the load is.
  • Bend knees when lifting.
  • Consider obtaining work gloves to make sure that you have an easy and tight grip on the object.
  • If something is too heavy to lift, consider using machinery like a dolly or forklift to help.
  • Limiting the amount of weight that is carried in one load if at all possible.
  • Looking around prior to lifting the object to make sure that a clear path exists.
  • Never reaching for an object quickly because this could quickly result in strained muscles.
  • Remembering to take multiple breaks when lifting several heavy loads.
  • Using arms, legs, and core body and not all back to lift objects.
  • Using a ladder to lift an object overhead.
  • Warming up before lifting a heavy object.

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Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys are able to secure the following benefits for injured workers and their families when workers sustain injuries for accidents that occur within the scope of the workers employment: Partial disability benefits, temporary total disability benefits, permanent and total disability benefits, death benefits, scarring and disfigurement benefits.

If you or a loved one has been injured on the job due to an injury caused by lifting, do not hesitate to contact a skilled Boston Work Injury lawyer. The Law Offices of Gerald J. Noonan are a group of Massachusetts Work Accident Attorneys with over 35 years of legal experience. Our legal counsel has helped Healthcare workers, Hospital workers, warehouse workers, construction workers and electricians, carpenters, landscapers, delivery drivers and Nurses who have injured their neck and back while lifting on the job. Call our Brockton workers’ compensation lawyer today for a free consultation.

Representing the residents of Plymouth County including Brockton, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Marshfield, Hingham, Duxbury, Wareham, Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanson, Middleborough; Norfolk County including Quincy, Stoughton, Dedham, Weymouth, Braintree, Avon, Holbrook, Randolph, Canton, Sharon, Brookline, Franklin; Bristol County including New Bedford, Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Mansfield, Easton, Raynham, Norton; Cape Cod, Falmouth, Barnstable and the Greater Boston area including Cambridge, Lynn, Revere, Everett, Lawrence, Dorchester, Roxbury and Somerville.