Working in the transmission manufacturing industry is like a maze with potential dangers. These risks include heavy machinery, exposure to dangerous chemicals, excessive noise, slips, falls, etc. As you can imagine, many injuries within this industry are severe, causing injured people to face expensive medical costs and being unable to work.
Fortunately, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if you suffered a ZF Transmissions manufacturing workplace injury. The attorneys at Dayson Shalabi Burkett Law Firm, LLC help our clients navigate the workers’ compensation process.
Workers in the manufacturing industry are like police officers, in that they need to constantly be aware of their surroundings. They can experience injuries in myriad ways, including falling, operating machinery, or lifting something heavy. However, workplace injuries aren’t always sudden events.
The preponderance of workplace injuries occurs due to repeated stress from frequent lifting, pulling, pushing, and standing. These injuries develop gradually and can be just as devastating as a sudden work-related accident.
The most common work-related injuries at ZF Transmissions include:
Take these steps if you sustain a workplace injury while working at the ZF Transmissions manufacturing plant in Gray Court, SC.
First and foremost don’t delay! Move like lightning to seek medical attention immediately after your injury happens. If you’re dealing with a repetitive type of injury, it’s also advisable to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Let a professional assess and treat your injuries. These medical visits also document the extent of your injuries and subsequent treatment plans. This information is vital to have when submitting your workers’ compensation claim.
According to South Carolina law, an injured worker must report an incident to their employer within 90 days after it occurred. If your manufacturing workplace injury at ZF Transmissions is due to repetitive trauma, ensure you report it within 90 days after you first seek medical treatment or when it prevents you from working, whichever happens first.
Depending on when and where your injury happened, your co-workers or other people may have witnessed it. It’s a good idea to contact anyone who saw your accident. Witness statements aren’t required to file a workers’ compensation claim in South Carolina. However, these statements can help attest to what caused your injuries and substantially bolster your claim.
In South Carolina, you have two years to file a workers’ compensation claim after an injury occurs. This rule has a few limited exceptions, so it’s advisable to speak with an attorney even if your injury happened over two years ago.
Sometimes, employers, insurance companies, and attorneys attempt to invalidate and deny your claim. Unfortunately, the same situation might occur after your ZF Transmissions manufacturing workplace injury. Insurance and legal professionals representing your employer may dispute one or multiple aspects of your claim. These claim disputes can involve when your injury happened, your submitted documents, and other work-related injury details.
An experienced workplace injury attorney can help by representing you in negotiations with other parties. A workplace injury law firm can also mean having help with appealing a denied claim.
Most believe workers can only receive compensation if their employer is at fault. That’s not the case. Workers’ compensation is available to workers regardless of fault. Being injured at work can be and often is reason enough to receive benefits. If your employer is trying to avoid paying you or other employees for work-related injuries, we can help.