What You Need to Know About Workers’ Comp for Truck Drivers
By Ross Cellino
Is there a provision for Workers’ Comp for Truck Drivers?
Trucking is a big and growing industry in the USA. According to
The American Trucking Association estimates there are 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the country.
Driving a truck is a hard and risky business, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s one of the deadliest professions with more than a thousand fatalities per year.
This profession can be risky because of the chances of a crash, but besides the accidents, there are other hazards related to this profession.
So, if a truck driver ends in an accident, besides the accident claim, they can get a workers’ compensation claim which is guaranteed to them as an employee.
If you’re a truck driver and got injured while doing your job, make sure to get legal assistance from a New York workers’ compensation attorney.
What are Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Workers’ compensation will cover injuries that occurred at work (the injury that happened as a result of an injury at the workplace) and occupational illnesses (that develop over time).
Just like in any profession, truck drivers can get injured at work or develop an occupational illness.
Worker’s compensation will cover medical treatments, lost wages and death benefits.
The compensation will cover all your surgeries, MRI, CT scans, X-rays, doctor and hospital visits, medical devices, prescribed meditations, prosthetics. It will cover past, present and future earnings and in case of death, the family of the deceased will get coverage for funeral and burial expenses, but also a percentage of weekly compensation.
Trucking Accident Injuries
These injuries can be anything from a small trauma like a minor concussion to a major and severe injury such as traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury or amputation.
Truck accidents that include jackknife, tire blowout, rollover, unsecured loads or underride accidents can lead to lead to severe and dangerous injuries.
In accidents when a truck is rear-ended or in an underride crash, the driver will have a better chance to get out of the accident without harsh injuries. This mainly because of the height of the truck cab, and the truck weight, compared to the smaller vehicle.
However, if the truck rolls over or ends up in a jackknife accident, the driver can end with severe injuries.
Truck drivers may end with severe injuries such as head trauma, broken bones, internal injuries like bleeding organs, seat belt injuries, rib or torso injuries, head trauma and back and neck injuries.
Occupational Injuries and Illness in Truck Drivers
These people aren’t just exposed to a motor accident. They don’t just sit behind the wheel driving the cargo from one place to other. The long hours, constant sitting position, hands on the wheel can lead to occupational illnesses.
Repetitive Stress Injuries
A repetitive motion or positioning during normal activities at work can easily cause a repetitive stress injury.
A repetitive stress injury often leads to soft tissue injuries that include muscles, tendons, ligaments and nerves. These conditions include the following injuries:
- Bursitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Trigger finger
- Ganglion cysts
- Epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Tenosynovitis
- Tendinitis
You may feel pain, tingling, numbness or other sensations in any part of the body that is exposed to repetitive stress.
Truck drivers can feel these conditions, which can be affected by how they sit, how they drive, how long they drive, and their posture.
Musculoskeletal Disorders
Truck drivers often suffer from neck and back disorders, but also upper extremities injuries, and pain caused by loading and unloading heavy cargo.
Besides lifting heavy cargo, truck drivers may develop back, neck and upper extremities disorders because they tend to climb into the truck cab, long hours of sitting and steering the wheel.
The truck cab is designed to affect the posture of the driver; they can’t just get up or stretch in the cab. Driving takes long hours, and these people have to sit carefully positions so they can always check the mirrors, steering the wheel, keep their legs on the pedals. All of these can easily affect the musculoskeletal system.
Truck drivers tend to become obese. Obesity, stress, smoking and eating junk food can easily lead to diabetes, heart failure, or cancer.
Substance abuse to stay awake on the road can lead to dependence. Besides these, the exposure to chemicals can be a huge risk for their lives and health in the long run.
If you’re a truck driver who develops an occupational illness or got injured while driving, schedule your consultation at Cellino Law.
Content checked by the personal injury attorney Ross Cellino
Ross Cellino
As a family man and a trial attorney, I pride myself on winning cases and serving the community. With over 35 years of experience, I understand the function of a jury, how juries arrive at conclusions, and the role that the jury plays in administering justice. I know how to win cases. You can find us in Manhattan, Buffalo, Melville, Rochester, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and other locations throughout New York.
