Common Work for Assemblers

Assembler Injuries in North Carolina

Assemblers face many different risks on the job. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), assembly workers generally work in manufacturing plants and industrial environments. They often stand on their feet for long periods of time, and they typically do the same tasks over-and-over, which can take a tremendous toll on the body.

If you are an assembler who has suffered a serious injury on the job, you need to be aware that North Carolina laws have been designed to protect you. These laws may entitle you to payment of your medical bills, disability benefits or personal injury damages depending upon how you got hurt and who was to blame.

Unfortunately, while the laws are designed to ensure that assemblers don’t face undue financial stress when hurt on the job, not everyone follows the laws to the letter. Employers, insurance companies and other powerful people may do everything possible to pay you as little as possible after your work injury.

You cannot and should not settle for less than you deserve. The lawyers of Hardison & Cochran are available to help you protect and enforce your rights. Schedule a free review of your case today.

Call (800) 434-8399 or contact us online. We will respond within 24 hours.

Manufacturing or Assembly Industry Risks

Many assemblers working in the manufacturing industry face cumulative trauma disorders or repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel or tendonitis.

Repetitive stress is far too common. It causes many assemblers to experience pain, incur medical costs and become unable to work or to switch to a different job. However, repetitive stress issues are not the only dangers that assemblers face.

For example, assembly workers may be injured by:

  • Exposure to harmful chemicals or fumes – The BLS indicates that both assemblers and fabricators are at risk of being exposed to chemicals or toxins, which can make you sick over time.  For example, some workers may be exposed to fiberglass, which can irritate the skin, while others are exposed to chemicals that can cause illness, including cancer.
  • Contact with objects and equipment – One of the big risks faced by assemblers is getting a finger, hand, limb or other body part stuck in a machine. This can result in a crushing injury that has a serious and lasting impact. Assemblers can also be injured when equipment or parts fall on them.
  • Falls – Factory floors can be covered in oil, grease or other slippery substances that are needed to keep machinery running or assemble products. Workers could fall on the same level as a result of slippery floors, cracked or uneven walkways and other debris and hazards. Assemblers could also fall from a higher elevation to a lower one when performing work.
  • Fires or explosions – Factories and industrial environments where assemblers work may be prone to fire or explosion as a result of flammable and dangerous equipment and raw materials used in their work.

These and other injuries on the assembly line can be devastating, even resulting in death. Workers can also experience serious and life-changing injuries, as well. The hands and fingers are commonly affected by assembly-line injuries, including repetitive stress damage. However, your health may also be affected in other important and lasting ways as you do your job as an assembler.

Your Options After an Assembler Injury

Workplace injuries are always devastating. They can leave you unable to continue with your job at the same time that you are coping with mounting medical bills. To address the problem of worker injuries, North Carolina guarantees injured workers certain benefits. Workers who have been hurt as a result of wrongdoing or negligence on the part of a non-employer are also protected from having to face losses due to a workplace injury.

Fortunately, you don’t have to handle your work injury case on your own. An experienced, caring North Carolina assembler injury lawyer can help you to obtain:

  • Workers’ compensation benefits – These benefits include payment of medical bills, death benefits to family members killed on-the-job and disability benefits to people who cannot work either temporarily or permanently. The disability benefits not only provide income to you if you are totally unable to work but also replace some of the money you lose if your injuries force you to switch to a lower-paying or lighter-duty job. A lawyer who has experience working with assemblers injured on the job can work closely with you to seek these benefits.
  • Personal injury damages – The compensation that you may collect through a personal injury lawsuit may be greater than the money you could obtain from workers’ compensation benefits. For example, payment for pain and suffering may be available through a personal injury lawsuit but not through a workers’ compensation claim.

If you are paid workers’ compensation benefits, you cannot file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer. You can only sue a third party non-employer for your injuries. For example, you could make a personal injury claim against the manufacturer of a defective machine.

An experienced work injury lawyer can review the circumstances of your injury and help you to determine if a third-party liability claim is possible in your case. If so, the attorney will gather evidence and build the strongest case possible so you can have the best chance of getting a large monetary payout for your injuries.

Our Attorneys Help Injured Assembly Workers

As an assembler, you do important work that makes it possible for people throughout North Carolina and the U.S. to buy products and materials. You deserve a safe worksite, and you deserve to be fully compensated if you get hurt on the job.  When this doesn’t happen, it can be devastating.

At Hardison & Cochran, our caring and experienced lawyers will do everything possible to ensure that you are treated fairly and to seek full payment for all of the losses arising from your work injuries.

To learn more about how we can put our legal experience and compassionate, professional service to work for you, give us a call at (800) 434-8399 or contact us online today.

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