Disabled? don’t worry, help can come to you

Author: Holly Chavez
Published: Aug 16 2014

Individuals who are facing disabling injuries today often face an uphill battle to cope with the ordeal. Team this with a tough economy, medical bills, and the stress of physical and emotional recovery, and you’ll find that disability can come with a host of challenges.

Catastrophic Injuries: Rapid Onset of Injury

Many of us hear about cases of severe personal injuries in the news, or some of us may even know someone that has suffered a serious accident on the job, that resulted in a debilitating injury. These cases often involve catastrophic events that hurt someone severely enough that they are unable to work or perform everyday functions.

These types of injuries may be short or long term, and the effects usually present themselves immediately after the accident. However, that isn’t always the case. For instance you might slip and fall and not be aware that you’ve torn a ligament or fractured a bone, until the next day when you can hardly put weight on the limb.

Insidious Harm: Slow Progression of Injury

One of the lesser-known types of injuries that you can sustain are those that slowly progress over time and remain hidden until they are just too painful to ignore. Medical advances and safety agencies such as OSHA have brought this type of injury to the forefront so we hear about it more often in modern times. They are a classification known as repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and some work activities that have been cited for causing them include speeding up a production line, repetitive and heavy lifting, and intensive keying.

Another could be mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive type of cancer most commonly caused by asbestos exposure. Before our society didn’t become fully aware of this malady until the 1990’s, we had many construction tradesman crawling around in attics and repairing ductwork for years. This heartrending impact of this type of exposure wouldn’t show up for 20-50+ years, and suddenly the victim would stroke and die.

Record-Keeping and On-The-Job Injuries

For any type of injury, be sure to document it fully and file a report with your employer, even if it appears to be minor. Also, keep a copy for your records. It is easier to prove a claim if you have documentation of your injury, and also make sure the health and safety committee is aware of your injury.

Work with your physician to document the pain and how the injury worsens after the incident, too. That extra mile you go will benefit you in the end because the records are important for possible workers’ compensation claims, winning a personal injury case and for investigating all the hazards in the workplace.

Legal Aid for the Disabled

It is incredibly important not to try to handle the legal matters on your own in a severe injury event where you have been harmed by the actions or negligence of another. It is often doubly hard for a disabled person to seek representation because their decreased mobility often limits their ability to leave the premises. If this describes you, one option you may want to consider is seeking out a private lawyer who makes house calls.

Let Your Lawyer Come to You

The complications in a serious accident have so many legal facets and complexities. The added burden of a disabled person's inability to leave their house makes it even harder because it hinders their efforts to see an attorney. On that note, some attorneys will come to the hospital or your home, arrange flexible hours to consult with you to help build your case and answer questions.

The law firm of Howell and Christmas understands that people are not always able to come to their office after on-the-job injuries As a result, they can meet with you at your house or hospital room as often as needed. They often schedule flexible times to see disabled clients after hours to better serve them and accommodate all of their needs.

Choose a Multifaceted, Expert Lawyer

Depending on how and where you were you were injured will determine the type of legal aid you will need. It is often a good decision to choose an expert lawyer who handles several different types of cases when you are disabled because it allows you to see an attorney for all your legal issues in one place.

An attorney can act as an advocate on your case and relieve that burden, but you will probably need to initiate disability benefits yourself. Because of today’s medical advances, disabled individuals have the opportunity to live a longer life. Unfortunately, many find their disability is long-term and must contend with the costs and expenses associated with these injuries.

Holly Chavez is a freelance writer who enjoys contributing articles to health and self-help blogs and forums. This article is dedicated to Nadine Swayne, whose husband was severely injured and disabled on the job.

Photo courtesy of Praisaeng, freedigitalphotos.net

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