Imagine not being able to get up and down stairs like you used to. Imagine having to rely on other people to go to the grocery store. Imagine being unable to support yourself financially because you are unable to work.
For workers, a crush injury may not seem serious at first but could eventually lead to the loss of an arm or leg. For one man, amputation was the only solution when his injured foot never healed after a work accident. He had been lifting a steel beam when part of it fell on his foot. Over time, his foot injury only got worse and eventually he made the difficult decision to have his foot amputated.
In this situation, there isn’t just one surgery that the worker had to go through. In addition to the amputation surgery, he needed surgery to help with some back issues and leg issues that developed as a result of his foot injury. For anyone who has undergone multiple operations, the medical expenses can add up quickly.
But for this man, workers’ compensation has helped him cover many of those expenses. Without it, any injured worker could become overwhelmed with the number of medical bills combined with the loss of wages. But workers’ compensation benefits can help ensure that the worker gets the medical attention he or she needs.
One thing is for sure, a life will never be the same after a serious work accident, especially when it results in amputation. But with help, the injury does not need to take over that worker’s life.
Source: Toledo Free Press, “Hope for a new year: Shawn Levi, a local amputee, says he wants ‘A new life. A new start. A new outlook.’,” Brandi Barhite, Jan. 9, 2014.