Structural iron and steel workers are responsible for installing and securing the metal framing of buildings, bridges, and roads. In order to do so, they often put themselves at considerable risk of injury. As employees, a portion of iron and steel workers’ medical bills and lost wages from occupational injuries are usually covered under their company’s workers’ compensation policy. Employees can recover compensation even if they unintentionally caused their own injuries.
At Dolman Law Group, our seasoned workers’ compensation attorneys will tirelessly advocate to thwart insurance carriers’ attempts to complicate the process and delay or diminish your benefits. You can trust our team to thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your construction accident, gather compelling evidence to verify your injuries and present a convincing case for full workers’ compensation benefits. To schedule a free consultation, give us a call at (727) 451-6900 or complete our online contact form.
Dangers Structural Iron and Steel Workers Face On the Job
The work that structural iron and steel laborers do helps ensure that everything from highways to apartments to hospitals remains durable and supports enough weight to fulfill their purpose. This requires them to use tools like sharp shears and scalding torches to weld and powerful Beam Drill Lines to create accurately positioned holes in steel, creating ample opportunities for injuries that can be financially reimbursed through a workers’ compensation claim.
Even if an iron or steel worker is using the proper safety equipment, such as a welding helmet, they can still sustain catastrophic injuries if the tool malfunctions, slips, or gets dropped in a struck-by accident. Structural iron and steel workers also use heavy machinery like overhead cranes to place beams or metal sheets, which makes them vulnerable to a caught-in-between accident where they are crushed by the vehicle or materials and another object. In addition to the dangerous tools and hefty equipment that structural iron and steel workers rely on, the environment and conditions in which they work can present a threat to their safety.
As with most construction work, the risk of slip-and-fall accidents is considerable. Structural iron and steel workers can easily trip over tools, wires, wet or uneven surfaces, and materials. The risk of serious injury in a slip-and-fall accident can be greater for structural iron and steel workers who may need to work from a ladder or other elevated surface as a part of their job duties. This leaves them susceptible to falling from a raised location, which is a leading cause of fatal construction accidents. Steel and iron workers may also face heat-induced injuries from working outdoors in high temperatures.
Common Occupational Injuries For Structural Iron and Steel Workers
Construction site injuries sometimes may require nothing more than an ice pack or a few stitches to treat, or recovery may entail surgery, hospitalization, and therapy. Given the tools that iron and steel workers use and the general hazards of a construction site, more severe injuries are not uncommon. Structural iron and steel workers are susceptible to injuries like:
- Crush injuries
- Amputation
- Overexertion
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Electrical burns
- Deep lacerations
- Thermal burns
- Eye injuries
- Heatstroke
- Soft tissue injuries
- Organ damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
Structural iron and steel work is a physically demanding job that also requires precision, so any injury that compromises an employee’s mobility, sight, or judgment can preclude them from carrying out the vast majority of their job duties until they recover. In some cases, a steel or iron worker’s construction accident injury may render them permanently disabled, infringing on their ability to hold a job and manage a household independently.
Workers’ compensation benefits can provide financial relief for economic damages like these, as well as medical bills related to your occupational injury. Unfortunately, non-economic damages like pain and suffering are not covered by workers’ compensation insurance, even though debilitating construction accident injuries often have implications on a worker’s mental and emotional well-being.
How to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim as a Structural Iron or Steel Worker
Workers’ compensation claims are common in the construction industry, but many employees may be unfamiliar with the details of the process unless they have been through it themselves. The first thing you should do is accept or seek out medical attention for your workplace injuries. Let a healthcare provider be the judge of how extensive and significant your injuries are so that your employer’s insurance company does not have cause to doubt your claim’s credibility.
From there, it is imperative that you report your injury to your employer as soon as you can. By doing so, you are not only protecting your claim from being dismissed because you failed to meet the reporting deadline, but this starts the clock on the time that your employer has to notify the insurance company to initiate the workers’ compensation claims process. Your next step should be to hire a workers’ compensation attorney to represent your interests because the insurance carrier does not.
A workers’ compensation attorney will then work to compile evidence that your accidental injury occurred within the confines of your job as a structural iron and steel worker and that the severity of your injuries justifies the full amount of benefits you are seeking. If a third party was responsible, as in a case where a defective tool malfunctioned and caused significant burns, they may also recommend that you pursue a personal injury lawsuit to be able to fully cover the damages you have sustained, as workers’ compensation only covers a part of an employee’s economic damages.
Why You Should Choose Dolman Law Group to Represent Your Steel Workers' Compensation Claim
Our nationwide workers’ compensation attorneys are capable advocates willing to go above and beyond for our injured clients. At Dolman Law Group, we set a high standard for ourselves and work tirelessly to maximize compensation, which our case results reflect. As your workers’ compensation attorneys, we will provide your claim with the attention, time, and resources necessary to secure benefits that offset your medical expenses and lost wages. Let our dedicated team negotiate a fair compensation rate so that you can prioritize recovering from your injuries.
Contact Dolman Law Group For Help With Your Steel Workers' Compensation Claim
As a structural steel or iron worker, you may encounter resistance from your employer or their insurance carrier as you navigate the workers’ compensation claims process. Meanwhile, you and your family are left to struggle with accumulating medical debt and lost wages. At Dolman Law Group, we understand that every dollar counts when you are only receiving a percentage of your costs to begin with.
That’s why our team will not hesitate to stand up to a powerful insurance company to demand maximum compensation for your workers’ comp claim. The experienced personal injury lawyers of Dolman Law Group can provide you with the resources, knowledge base, and insight you need to navigate the workers’ compensation process and obtain the benefits you deserve.
If you would like a more detailed evaluation of your claim, schedule a free consultation with one of our skilled workers’ compensation attorneys by giving us a call at (727) 451-6900 or completing our online contact form. We offer this service to prospective clients so that they can experience our communication style firsthand, learn more about their rights, and receive an honest assessment of what their workers’ compensation claim is worth.