Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Lawyer for Loggers

Logging and other timber and forestry jobs have some of the biggest risk of injury of any profession.  Loggers and other forestry workers can face injuries from the tools and machinery they use, from falling trees, or even from the general risks of working in nature.  When you get hurt at work in the logging industry, you should be covered by your employer’s Workers’ Comp coverage, preventing you from having to pay out of pocket for your damages.

Our lawyers can help employees in logging and forestry get compensation for their injuries, including payments for their medical care and ongoing lost-wage benefits to cover a portion of what they lose when they are unable to work.  We can also appeal denials and work to get you a settlement if your employer’s insurance refuses coverage.

Contact Cardamone Law today at (267) 651-7945 for a free case assessment from our Pennsylvania Certified Workers’ Compensation lawyers.

Common Injuries for Loggers and Forestry Workers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania literally means “Penn’s Woods,” and logging and timber work is an important part of our natural ecosystem and industry.  Workers in this field often face significant risks and challenges from the natural conditions they work in as well as a risk of injury from the tools and machinery used in their line of work, often resulting in some of the following injuries and accidents that our Workers’ Comp lawyers for loggers can help you seek benefits for:

Falls

Falling out of a tree can cause serious injuries.  If you were up on a ladder, in a cherry picker, or physically in a tree, falling could leave you with internal injuries, broken bones, head and brain injuries, back injuries, and other serious injuries.  These could require medical care and potentially even lead to permanent paralysis and ongoing care needs, as well as a total inability to work to support yourself after your fall.  Even those who can return to work often see at least some period of reduced working ability while they continue to recover.

Chainsaw Injuries

Chainsaws are an everyday part of many loggers’ and lumberjacks’ jobs despite being one of the singularly most dangerous tools in existence.  Although you might have training and experience using chainsaws, they can always buck or break in surprising ways, potentially injuring you or someone near you.  When loggers are hurt by chainsaws, they can face serious injuries, from deep cuts to lacerations.  By the time you get medical treatment, especially if you were far out in the woods when the injury happened, you could have lost a lot of blood, potentially resulting in additional harm.

Amputation

Stray axe swings, chainsaw injuries, injuries from other saws and tools, and even serious complications with broken bones could lead to amputation.  This could mean losing something small like a finger or toe or losing a whole limb.  While reattachment is often possible, temporary or permanent loss of a limb or digit can certainly require expensive medical care and take you out of work for some time.

Heavy Machinery Accidents

Logging might require working with or near bulldozers, backhoes, cranes, lifts, and other heavy machinery.  These vehicles are often equipped with safety features to help keep operators and other workers safe, but accidents happen.  Workers’ Compensation is often available to cover these accidents, given that there is no fault requirement.  Whether a coworker was at fault or you were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, you should still be able to get benefits for your injuries.

Vehicle Accidents

Logging requires transporting the logs out of the forest and transporting workers to and from the job site.  Auto accidents can happen, especially if there are problems with the way the logs or other materials and tools are secured.  Especially in bad weather, driving in and out of the woods can be a danger in and of itself, potentially resulting in rollovers and other accidents.

Falling Trees and Limbs

Felling a tree requires proper care and skill to do it safely.  The same goes for limbing and bucking.  If you or someone around you makes even a small mistake, it can be exacerbated quite quickly, potentially resulting in a serious danger to those on the ground.  If you are hit by a falling limb or an entire tree, you could face a wide range of serious injuries.

Death

Many of these accidents discussed here involve a risk of very serious injury, and not everyone survives serious accidents like these.  If you have a loved one who was killed while working in the logging industry, you might be able to make a claim for Workers’ Comp death benefits for your family.

Benefits Available for Loggers and Forestry Workers Under Workers’ Compensation in Pennsylvania

The benefits you can claim for a work injury usually cover two areas of compensation: medical expenses and lost wages.  In addition, you can get other benefits for loss of a limb or lost function in a body part, and the family of deceased workers can get death benefits.

Medical benefits should cover the full cost of all medical care stemming from your injury, including the cost of emergency care, initial diagnosis, follow-up care, therapy, and more.

Wage-loss benefits usually cover 2/3 of your lost wages.  If you can still work in a reduced capacity, you can usually get 2/3 of the difference between your pre- and post-injury wages.  Low-wage workers can potentially recover more than 2/3, depending on how their average wage compares to the statewide average.

“Specific loss” benefits are paid for amputations and loss of function in body parts, giving you a certain number of weeks’ worth of 2/3 of your wages on top of the other benefits you can receive.

If you lose a loved one in an accident while logging or performing work duties, your family can often receive money for their burial/funeral costs and end-of-life medical care, as well as lost wage benefits for the family moving forward.

Call Our Logging Injury Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Today

If you were hurt at work, call our Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation lawyers today at Cardamone Law by dialing (267) 651-7945.