Causes and Consequences of Head Injuries in the Workplace

 Posted on April 17, 2018 in Workers' Compensation

Head injuries are one of the most serious types of injuries a person can experience, and unfortunately, head injuries at the workplace are not uncommon. If your head injury is caused by a misplaced object, poorly maintained work environment, or by another worker, it may have been preventable.

How Head Injuries Occur

Head injuries commonly occur in the workplace from the following causes:

• Walking Into Objects – If a worker walks into a solid object such as wall, cabinet, or glass window, they may bump their head and suffer an injury.
• Being Underneath Falling Objects - When an object falls or is dropped from above, it may hit a worker on the head, causing injury. A worker may bump a shelf and knock an object over, or a coworker could accidentally drop an object when they are working above the other person.
• Slipping or Tripping and Falling – A worker may slip on a wet floor or trip on an object on a floor and injure their head on the fall. Slipping and tripping accidents are the second most common cause of worker injury.
• Falling from Above – Falling off a roof or ladder, or tumbling down stairs can be dangerous for workers. A worker may strike their head on their descent, resulting in injury. Thirty-five percent of traumatic brain injuries in the United States are caused by some type of fall.

Effects of a Head Injury

A head injury may cause external damage to the skull or internal damage to the brain. The effects of a head injury can be internal or external:

External Effects: A worker may experience minor to severe damage to their skull after an injury. Bruising and swelling can occur, there may be cuts or lacerations on a worker’s scalp or bones in a worker’s skull may be fractured. A person may experience symptoms including memory loss, dizziness, and nausea from injury to the head. A severe head injury may also lead to a seizure.

Internal Effects: Skull fractures may lead to blood clots forming in the brain of an injured person. Contusions, bruising to the brain, hemorrhaging, or bleeding in the brain may also occur after an injury. An injured worker may also suffer from diffuse axonal injury (DAI). DAI is an injury that can occur when a person’s brain is shaken back and forth. This can have serious effects, including putting the injured worker into a coma and causing injury to parts of the brain.

Contact Us

Head injuries suffered in the workplace can have a lasting impact on a person’s health and life. If you have received a head injury at work, you may be able to receive worker’s compensation. A Wheaton head injury lawyer can help you pursue the compensation you deserve. For a free consultation, call 630-665-5678 today.

Sources:

http://www.arbill.com/arbill-safety-blog/bid/202877/Top-10-Most-Common-Workplace-Injuries

https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/head-injury-in-adults-

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/conditions/nervous_system_disorders/head_injury_85,P00785

https://www.medicinenet.com/head_injury/article.htm#what_is_the_glasgow_coma_scale

https://www.healthline.com/health/head-injury#types