New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Lawyer for Puncture Wounds

Leading Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Represent Clients Suffering from Workplace Puncture Wounds in New Jersey

Deep puncture wounds can penetrate the skin, as well as the muscles and tendons, to reach the bones and internal organs.  While some puncture wounds cause excessive bleeding immediately, the danger with some workplace puncture wounds comes later—when the wound becomes infected.  When you have to miss work as a result, New Jersey Workers’ Compensation provides coverage for lost wages, medical care, and a monetary award if your laceration does not heal to 100% full function or without a scar after the treatment has concluded.

When you have been hurt on the job, you are entitled to receive thorough and high-quality medical treatment.  Our Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Team Law are committed to making sure the Workers’ Compensation insurance companies follow through on those obligations.  With over 60 years’ experience and a proven track record of success, we are here to get the maximum compensation you deserve.

Your right to Workers’ Compensation after a puncture wound at work can be complicated by a number of factors.  Puncture wound victims often wait to seek medical attention until they identify signs of infection.  In these non-emergent situations, your employer might claim that your injury occurred outside of work.

Speaking with an experienced Workers’ Compensation lawyer can be key to protecting your right to fair Workers’ Compensation benefits.  Our lawyers have the experience and reputation needed to get results for you.  Contact us today to schedule your free case evaluation.

Common Causes of Puncture Wounds in the Workplace

Even when all proper safety protocols are followed, some work environments can never be rendered completely safe from work accidents.  Puncture wounds in the workplace can be caused by:

• Knives used by restaurant employees and grocery store workers in the bakery, deli or meat departments
• Protruding machine or equipment components
• Saws and other tools used on the job
• Nail guns, including nails that ricochet off surfaces in the workplace or penetrate the materials you are working with
• Coming into contact with glass or other sharp objects during a scaffolding accident, ladder fall or slip and fall accident
• Broken glass in the workplace
• Workplace assault
• Scalpels, needles and other sharp objects used by doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals in medical facilities

Nail guns are one of the most common causes of puncture wounds for construction and manufacturing workers.  Nail gun accidents caused by lack of safety precautions, inadequate training or even using the wrong type of nail gun can all lead to serious injury.

Action Steps for Workplace Puncture Wound Victims

If you suffer a puncture wound at work, prompt medical care is important even if the wound does not seem that serious.  Puncture wounds, by definition, pierce the skin more deeply than lacerations and other surface wounds.  Because of this, cleaning the wound immediately is important to preventing infection.  To treat a puncture wound at work, you should:

• First wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water
• Wear gloves if possible.
• Irrigate the wound for five to ten minutes under clean water to clean out any debris and particles
• Clean the area around the direct puncture with soap and water
• Use an antibiotic cream or ointment, but not alcohol or hydrogen peroxide
• If the object that caused the puncture wound is lodged in the body, keep it there and ask to see a doctor immediately
• If the bleeding is not serious and the object is not lodged in the body, cover the cleaned wound with a sterile bandage (and change that bandage daily or more often afterwards)

You should immediately report the puncture wound to your supervisor and see a doctor if the area develops an infection—although it is always a good idea to see the doctor even if you do not suspect infection.  Signs of infection include:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Drainage
• Unusual pain

Puncture wounds can cause injuries that you might not be able to see on the surface.  The object could hit the bone or cause a tear in a muscle.  In addition to the risk of infection, many puncture wound victims require surgery in order to repair the damage beneath the surface.

Your Right to Fair Workers’ Compensation for Workplace Puncture Wounds

Workers’ Compensation benefits in New Jersey are available even if you caused the accident yourself.  You do not have to prove that your employer—or anyone else—was negligent in order to claim Workers’ Compensation benefits.  In exchange, you give up your right to sue your employer.  Workers’ Compensation covers:

• Your reasonable and necessary medical expenses, including deductibles, copays, therapy, surgeries and more, and
• 70% of your average weekly wages while you are on temporarily unable to work for at least 8 days
• Permanent partial disability if the puncture wound leaves the injured body part with less than 100% function or with a visible scar.

At Team Law, we are here to help you get the full amount of benefits to which you are entitled.  Call us today to learn more about how we can protect your right to full Workers’ Compensation benefits.

Schedule Your Free Case Review to Discuss Options After a Workplace Puncture Wound Today

If you have suffered a puncture wound at work, you need the best possible lawyer in your corner to fight for your right to fair compensation.  At Team Law, we have the specialized skills and experience needed to get maximum compensation in your case.  We have already successfully helped thousands of injured workers recover their just Workers’ Compensation benefits across New Jersey.  Call or contact us today so that we can begin advocating on your behalf today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Workers’ Compensation for Puncture Wounds