In Ohio, employees who are hurt in the course of performing their jobs are typically eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits to cover their medical care and help them recover from their injuries. If you need help pursuing a disputed workers’ comp claim for a head injury in Ohio, talk to an experienced Ohio workers’ compensation attorney.
Since 1985, the workplace injury lawyers of Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA have fought for the rights of injured workers throughout Northeastern Ohio. All our attorneys grew up here, went to school here, and worked for local companies before joining our law firm. We often are familiar with the worksites and employers involved in the cases we handle, as well as the doctors and medical providers that treat our clients. We are well-known in the legal community throughout the region. Our roots give us an advantage in pursuing the best possible results for our clients.
If you’ve suffered a head or brain injury in a workplace accident, reach out to our firm for a free case evaluation. We will discuss how our firm can help you pursue a workers’ comp claim to recover the benefits you need during this difficult time.
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Types of Head Injuries on the Job in Ohio
Some of the most common types of head injuries that workers in Ohio suffer on the job include:
- Concussion: a type of traumatic brain injury that occurs when the brain impacts the inside of the skull
- Contusion: a brain bruise that may also be accompanied by bleeding or swelling
- Coup-contrecoup: a bruising on opposite sides of the brain caused by the brain bouncing back and forth inside the skull
- Hemorrhage, or bleeding: which can occur between the brain and the skull or inside brain tissue
- Edema: a swelling of the brain
- Hematoma: a bleeding in the brain that forms a clot
- Skull fracture
- Diffuse axonal injury: a shearing injury to brain tissue that often leads to swelling
- Penetrating injury: occurs when an object breaks through the skull into brain tissue
- Acquired brain injuries: such as encephalitis (inflammation caused by infection) or hypoxic/anoxic brain injury (damage to brain tissue caused by lack of oxygen)
Common Causes of Ohio Work-Related Brain Injuries
Common causes of head and brain injuries at work include:
- Slip/trip and falls
- Falls from heights, such as from roofs, scaffolding, or through openings in the floor or ground
- Falling objects
- Motor vehicle accidents, including car accidents, truck accidents, forklift accidents, or construction vehicle accidents
- Defective or unsafe equipment or machinery
- Explosions
- Exposure to toxic substances or viruses/bacteria
How Much Is an Ohio Workers’ Comp Head Injury Worth?
After suffering a head injury on the job, you may be entitled to workers’ comp benefits such as:
Payment of all reasonable and necessary medical treatment and rehabilitation services, including reimbursement of travel expenses incurred while attending authorized medical treatment and physical therapy.- Replacement of a portion of your lost wages when you are temporarily disabled from earning your average pre-injury wages.
- Permanent disability benefits if your head injury causes permanent partial or total disability. Partial disability benefits are based on the type and severity of residual damage resulting from a head injury. Permanent Total disability continues paying the same rate of temporary total disability benefits for as long as you remain disabled.
- Vocational rehabilitation services, which can provide training to help you return to your old job or move to a new job given the permanent limitations caused by your injury.
If a worker sustains a fatal work-related head injury, the worker’s surviving dependents may receive death benefits that total up to two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage, in addition to a contribution of up to $7,500 for funeral and burial expenses. Dependent death benefits are based on the level of support the deceased worker had previously provided the dependent. Claims for death benefits must be filed within two years of the date of death.
Ohio Workers’ Compensation Benefits Can Cover a Brain Injury
When you suffer a brain injury or head injury at work, the workers’ compensation system in Ohio can provide you with the benefits you need to recover from your injury. While workers’ compensation is considered a “no-fault” type of claim—meaning that you do not need to prove that your employer had any fault for your injury—you must show that your injury occurred in the scope of your employment to receive benefits.
The following steps can protect your rights and improve your chances of receiving the workers’ comp benefits to which you are entitled:
- Report your work injury to your employer or immediate supervisor as soon as possible.
- If you can, try to take photographs of the scene of the accident that caused your injury.
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible. A doctor can evaluate whether you sustained a head or brain injury by conducting a physical exam. Remember to tell your doctor that you suffered your injuries on the job.
- Follow all treatment recommendations and instructions. If you fail to keep follow-up medical appointments to treat your injury, your employer may decide that you have recovered and order you to return to work.
- Keep copies of all bills, receipts, and invoices for expenses you incur, including those for authorized medical treatment and transportation costs.
Contact Your Brain Injury Workers’ Compensation Attorneys In Ohio Today
If you sustained a head injury or brain injury on the job in Ohio, contact Heller, Maas, Moro & Magill Co., LPA today for a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our Ohio workers’ compensation attorneys. During the consultation, you will learn more about the benefits that you may be entitled to seek. Our Ohio workers’ comp attorney can help you pursue a formal workers’ comp claim or appeal a denied claim. Remember: you do not have to face this challenging time alone, and help is only a phone call or a click away.