Closed Head Injuries

A work-related injury can take many forms, and can include repetitive stress injuries, strains, sprains, fractures, lacerations, and traumatic brain injuries, among other things. While any on-the-job accident can leave a worker with permanent and potentially devastating harm, accidents involving head injuries can be especially damaging. At the Law Firm of Valerie J. Crown, Attorney at Law, P.C., we represent injured workers and their families as they attempt to navigate the complex and often confusing world of New York Workers’ Compensation law. If you or a loved one has suffered a closed head injury during the course and scope of employment, our Rockland County Workers’ Compensation lawyers may be able to help.

Under New York law, a worker who is injured on the job has a right to paid medical treatment. There are certain requirements and restrictions, such as seeing a doctor who accepts Workers’ Compensation insurance, which an employee should know as he or she goes through the process of seeking medical treatment. Depending upon the severity of the injury, the worker may also be entitled to temporary and/or permanent disability payments. While these benefits do not completely replace the lost wages that a worker would have earned if the injury hadn’t occurred, they can go a long way in helping the injured individual and his or her dependents stay financially afloat if the worker cannot perform his or her usual duties for an extended period of time.

Closed head injuries, including those resulting from concussions, can have devastating long-term consequences, so it is important that an employee who has suffered such an injury at work consult an attorney who can help him or her aggressively pursue a workers’ compensation claim. There is a considerable amount of paperwork involved in any type of injury case, and work-related injury claims are certainly no exception. If the proper procedures are not followed, the injured person may forfeit the right to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Thus, it is advisable to talk to a lawyer as soon as possible if you or a family member has suffered a closed head injury, traumatic brain injury, concussion, or other blow to the head while working.

Depending on where and how a closed head injury happened, it may be possible for the worker to file a third-party lawsuit seeking monetary compensation from a negligent individual, business, or governmental entity. For example, if a particular worker suffered a traumatic brain injury at work in a motor vehicle accident caused by the negligence of someone who was not their co-worker, the injured employee may be able to file a claim against the careless driver and recover money damages for additional lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and other amounts. While the workers’ compensation insurance company will probably be entitled to be paid back some of the monies that they expended for the worker’s medical and disability benefits, the worker will probably still recover more than if he or she only had the right to workers’ compensation benefits. The law firm of Valerie J. Crown and Associates can handle that third-party claim or lawsuit as well.

Workplace head injuries can happen on construction sites, in car accidents, in slip and fall accidents on slippery surfaces, and even in the context of professional sports. Because of the nature of closed head injuries, it is not unusual for there to be a lot of disagreement between the worker and the workers’ compensation insurance company about the nature and extent of the injury. Having experienced legal representation during such times is helpful, and it wise to contact counsel sooner rather than later. To schedule an appointment with a workers’ compensation/personal injury lawyer at our firm, call us today at 845-708-5900, contact Valerie 24/7 on her cell phone at 845-598-8253, or contact us through our online form. We are available to represent injured workers in Rockland County, as well as in New York City and Duchess, Ulster, Westchester, and Orange Counties, along with other kinds of injury and wrongful death claims in the greater New York area.