Common Injuries for Food Processing Plant Employees

Food Processing Plant Employee Injuries in North Carolina

Tens of thousands of North Carolina workers are employed by food processing plants. North Carolina ranks first in the nation for production of sweet potatoes, second in the nation for pork, turkeys and trout, and third in the nation for cucumbers (pickles) and tomatoes.

Food processing plant workers typically cut, trim, package and process food items for retail sale. It is strenuous and highly repetitive work. It may include exposure to dangerous equipment, slippery floors and extreme hot or cold temperatures.

Given these works conditions, it’s no wonder that food manufacturing has one of the nation’s highest injury rates.

If a food processing plant employee suffers an injury or illness on the job, they may need time away from work to recover. This can lead to financial disaster if the employee cannot obtain workers’ compensation benefits to help pay medical bills and make up for their lost wages.

At Hardison & Cochran, we help food manufacturing workers to resolve this problem. If you have been hurt at a food processing job, we can seek workers’ comp benefits you deserve. We can also investigate whether you are entitled to additional compensation by filing a claim against a non-employer third party whose negligence contributed to your injury.

For a free review of your case, simply call us today at (800) 434-8399 or contact us online.

Types of Injuries among Food Manufacturing Workers

Sprains and strains are also called musculoskeletal disorders. They are the leading type of injury suffered by U.S. food manufacturing workers, including those in North Carolina.

These injuries can include:

  • Soreness and pain (especially in the lower back)
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome (a repetitive motion injury to the wrists and hands)
  • Hernia
  • Ligaments and tendon tears (usually from overexertion or repeated bending, climbing, crawling, reaching or twisting).

Like other manufacturing plant workers, food processors can also be injured in accidents such as:

  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Exposure to fumes, molds and other toxic substances
  • Being struck by vehicles
  • Plant fires and explosions.

Any injury in a food processing plant should be documented by the worker and employer as thoroughly as possible. An injured food processing plant worker should also be able to depend on workers’ compensation benefits to pay medical bills and to replace wages as they recover.

Partial Disability and Food Processing Plant Workers

Workers’ compensation for lost wages includes payments for partial disability and temporary disability. This includes money that makes up the difference you are assigned to a job that pays less than what you earned before you were injured.

This is important to food processing plant workers. Animal slaughtering and processing has one of the higher job transfer or restriction rates, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says. Obtaining workers’ compensation benefits can be crucial to a worker facing restricted duty or job transfer because of a disability.

Many food processing plant workers do not get the benefits they deserve after an occupational injury. Sometimes, the employer will dispute an injured worker’s valid workers’ compensation claim. In other cases, the workers’ comp system proves too complicated for a worker who is not familiar with its rules and regulations.

At Hardison & Cochran, our attorneys work with injured food manufacturing workers to seek the workers’ compensation benefits they need and deserve. We know the workers’ compensation system and how to document your injuries, medical treatment and other expenses to ensure that your benefits application accurately reflects your needs.

In cases where the activities of other people at the plant contributed to your injuries, our investigation will help determine whether a third-party claim can hold other individuals or organizations liable for your injuries.

Our Lawyers Help Injured Food Processing Plant Employees in North Carolina

If you are a food processing plant employee in North Carolina who has lost work due to injury or illness related to your job, Hardison & Cochran is here to help you. We have long history of representing injured North Carolina plant workers, and we understand food manufacturing employees and the injury hazards they encounter every day.

Call Hardison & Cochran at (800) 434-8399 or contact us online for the help you need today.

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