How brain injuries happen on the job

When traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) get discussed in the media, the focus is usually on sports like football and hockey, as well as TBIs suffered by soldiers in combat. But nearly anyone can suffer a TBI in their everyday jobs.

Construction workers are especially vulnerable to brain trauma. Here are four ways you can sustain a TBI on a construction site.

• Falling objects. Tools, materials and other objects can get dropped or fall from high above the ground and strike you on the head.
• Falls from above. Similarly, a construction worker can lose their balance on scaffolding or a rooftop and land on their head.
• Trip and falls. A sudden trip on a slippery, unstable or uneven surface might not give you enough time to brace your fall, forcing your head to hit the floor.
• Bumping into objects. A construction worker can fail to see an obstruction and walk into it, knocking their head.

Depending on how severe it is, a TBI can cause symptoms ranging from headaches, nausea and dizziness to vomiting, seizures and confusion. Long-term, serious brain trauma can cause chronic pain, cognitive or memory problems, slurred speech and behavioral changes. The victim can be forced to stop working for weeks or months to recover.

Appealing An Unfair Denial

Workers’ compensation can help make up for lost wages and other costs associated with a work-related brain injury. However, getting approved for workers’ comp is not automatic. Employers and their workers’ comp insurance companies often deny valid claims based on claims that the injury was not work-related or is a pre-existing condition. Fortunately, you have the right to appeal a denied claim in North Carolina.