Occupational Disease
Information on Workers’ Comp Injuries from Our South Carolina Injury Attorneys
The state of South Carolina defines most workplace injuries as an accident that occurs at a specific place and time. Most people tend to think that a workers’ compensation injury occurs because of an accident at work. However, a South Carolina injury attorney from McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC can tell you that regulations protect workers for any work related injury that occurs over time due to exposure to workplace hazards that are common to a specific occupation or industry. This type of work related injury is commonly referred to as an “occupational disease” workers’ compensation case.
Our firm currently represents hundreds of workers previously employed at a shut down plant in Rock Hill, South Carolina who experienced occupational exposure to dangerous chemicals. This plant closed down many years ago. Many workers think they do not have a viable claim for a disease or condition that strikes them 20 or 30 years after their employment has ceased. However, there may be times that someone has a viable workers’ compensation claim, even in situations where they have not worked at a particular facility for many years.
If you can no longer work because of an occupational disease or you have developed a medical condition because of past exposure to dangerous chemicals or compounds, you likely will need a South Carolina injury lawyer experienced in this complex area of the law. If you are unsure whether you have an occupational disease case or whether you qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, contact our South Carolina injury attorneys at McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC. The attorney who works on workers’ compensation cases for our firm, Ernie Peagler, can help you get qualified for your rightful workers’ compensation benefits.
Contact our South Carolina injury attorneys for a free case evaluation.
Occupational Disease
When cotton mills were present in South Carolina, work related disease claims were more prevalent. However, many industry specific workplace dangers exist, and workers still need protection due to occupational disease claims. This type of workers compensation claim falls into one of two categories based on the type of injury suffered by a worker: toxic exposure and repetitive strain injury.
Toxic Exposure
Long-term exposure to certain chemicals or toxins in the workplace can lead to occupational lung disease, cancer or other serious and debilitating illness. Inhalation of asbestos by construction workers, miners, and other industrial workers can lead to asbestosis (chronic and severe shortness of breath) and mesothelioma (lung cancer). Byssinosis (brown lung disease) is another common work related lung ailment, linked to breathing cotton fibers in textile plants. Many workers in cotton mills have this type of claim.
Workers in other industrial settings may develop asthma, brain damage, nerve damage, organ damage, malignant tumors or other permanent effects of repeated on-the-job exposure to benzene, solvents, preservatives and other chemicals routinely used at the worksite.
Repetitive Strain Injury (Cumulative Trauma Disorder)
The muscles, tendons and ligaments of the body can wear out from repeated motions. The resulting injuries from repetitive tasks are not visible, but they can be excruciating and disabling. Carpal tunnel syndrome is one type of repetitive stress injury. Another common repetitive strain injury is painful inflammation or incapacitating tissue tears in the shoulders, elbows, wrists and hands of textile workers, poultry and meatpacking workers, factory assembly workers and other occupations. However, these cases are harder to prove because of the difficulty of gauging “soft tissue” damage and the problem of proving that it is work related.
Contact Ernie Peagler, in our Columbia office toll free at 1-877-644-6400 to find out if you have a viable workers’ compensation occupational disease claim. In addition, contact our South Carolina injury attorneys at McGowan, Hood & Felder, LLC if you have any questions.