Attorneys
If you have broken a bone at work, the pain you are feeling right now is only the start of your problems. The real challenge begins when you can no longer work, medical bills start coming in, and you are unsure whether your employer's insurance company is going to cover what you need. The good news is that Iowa law is on your side. The harder truth is that knowing your rights and acting on them are two very different things.
Reality of a Broken Bone at Work
Many workers assume a broken bone means a cast for six weeks and a return to the job. In reality, fractures suffered in workplace accidents can be far more serious, far more expensive to treat, and far more disruptive to your ability to earn a living.
How Work Injuries Lead to Fractures
Broken bones at work occur in many ways. Slips and falls, falls from heights, vehicle accidents, and being struck by falling objects on a construction site are among the most common causes. In industries like construction and manufacturing, workers face even higher risks every day. Even workers not in hazardous industries can suffer work injury fractures from something as routine as a slip on a wet floor or a door slamming on a hand.
When Surgery Becomes Necessary
Not every broken bone at work requires surgery, but severe or complex fractures are more likely to require surgery. Understanding the two most common surgeries helps you understand what you may be facing and why recovery times can stretch far longer than you expect.
Open Reduction with Internal Fixation (ORIF)
Doctors may recommend open reduction with internal fixation when a bone breaks into multiple pieces, is out of alignment, is protruding through the skin, or has not healed properly from a previous procedure. During this surgery, the surgeon makes an incision to access the broken bone, reposition it correctly, and then uses internal hardware such as screws, rods, pins, or plates to hold it in place while it heals.
While ORIF is generally considered a safe procedure, complications can develop. These include infection, blood clotting, nerve damage, incomplete healing, pain, and muscle spasms. Recovery after leaving the hospital can take anywhere from several months to a full year, depending on the extent of your work injury and how well your body heals.
External Fixation
For some work injury fractures, especially when a patient has sustained multiple injuries and is not yet ready for more invasive surgery, doctors may turn to external fixation. This involves inserting pins and screws directly into the bone on either side of the fracture. These pins are then connected to an external frame made of rods and clamps that stabilizes the bone from outside the body.
Unlike a cast or splint, external fixation is not a purely external device. Because the pins are inserted into the bone itself, this procedure carries its own set of risks, including infection at the pin sites and the possibility of a pin becoming loose, which can interfere with proper healing. For simple fractures, the device may remain in place for several weeks. For complex fractures, a patient may have the fixator attached for up to a year.
Why This Matters for Your Work Injury Claim
Both of these procedures are costly. Between surgeon fees, anesthesia, hospital stays of up to a week, follow-up appointments, physical therapy, and medications, the financial toll of treating a broken bone at work can quickly become overwhelming. Workers who are also missing paychecks during recovery often feel caught in an impossible situation.
What Iowa Workers' Compensation Owes You After a Work Injury Fracture
The workers' compensation system in Iowa exists to protect employees who suffer injuries on the job. If you broke a bone at work, you are generally entitled to benefits that cover both your medical treatment and a portion of your lost income.
Medical Benefits
Iowa workers' compensation pays for medical costs to treat a work-related injury for as long as necessary. This means coverage for the full course of treatment related to your broken bone, including the initial emergency or hospital visit, surgical procedures such as ORIF or external fixation, doctor fees, follow-up care, physical therapy, and the cost of medications. If your treatment requires additional surgeries down the road, those should be covered as well.
Your employer has the right to choose which doctor you see initially. However, if you are unhappy with the care you are receiving, you can request alternate care. You also have the right to seek an independent medical examination at the employer's expense if you disagree with the treating doctor's assessment of your injury.
Disability Benefits
In addition to medical coverage, workers who suffer a broken bone at work may qualify for disability benefits to replace a portion of their lost wages. The type of disability benefit you receive depends on how your injury affects your ability to work.
- Temporary Total Disability applies when you are completely unable to work while recovering from your work injury. This is common in the early stages of recovery from a severe fracture or in the weeks following surgery.
- Temporary Partial Disability applies when you can work but must take on a lower-paying position while you recover. For example, a construction worker who breaks an arm at work may be temporarily placed in a light-duty desk role that pays significantly less than their normal wages.
- Permanent Partial Disability applies when the work injury results in permanent impairment that does not completely prevent you from working but does reduce your capacity. This is assessed after a doctor determines you have reached maximum medical improvement.
The Deadlines You Cannot Miss
Iowa law requires that you notify your employer of your work injury within 90 days of the accident. After that, you have up to two years to file your workers' compensation claim. Missing these deadlines can cost you the benefits you are legally entitled to receive.
Navigating the complexities of Iowa workers' compensation laws can be daunting, especially during the recovery process from a workplace injury. Seeking guidance from a seasoned Iowa Workers' Comp attorney is invaluable in ensuring your rights are protected and maximizing your chances of a favorable outcome.
Legal professionals play a pivotal role in gathering evidence, preparing documentation, and advocating for your interests throughout the claims process. Don't risk missing out on the compensation you deserve; enlist the support of a qualified attorney to navigate the complexities with confidence.
What If a Third Party Is Responsible?
Workers' compensation covers your medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, but it does not compensate you for pain and suffering. If your broken bone at work was caused in part by a third party's negligence, such as a defective piece of machinery manufactured by an outside company or a driver who caused a vehicle accident while you were performing job duties, you may have the right to pursue a separate claim outside of the workers' compensation system. This type of third-party liability claim can allow you to recover compensation for medical expenses, full lost wages, and the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the work injury.
Do Not Navigate This Alone
A broken bone at work sets off a chain of events that happens fast: medical decisions, employer notifications, insurance forms, and deadlines. The workers' compensation insurance company is not your advocate. Their interest is in minimizing what they pay out, not in making sure you receive everything you deserve.
An experienced Iowa workers' compensation attorney can help you understand the full value of your claim, ensure the correct procedures are followed, challenge a denial if one occurs, and explore whether a third-party claim is available to you.
Whether you are recovering from a fractured finger, a humerus fracture, or a complex multi-bone work injury that required ORIF or external fixation surgery, the law provides a path to recovery. Taking action early gives you the best chance of making the most of it.
Contacting a Work Injury Lawyer in Iowa
If this all sounds a bit complicated, that is because it is. Unfortunately, insurance companies have a great deal of power over the current Iowa legislature and governor, such that in 2017, they changed our work injury laws to the benefit of employers and insurance companies.
Thankfully, we have been among the leaders challenging these bad laws and know how to get you the fairest compensation that we can under the new laws. If you would like someone on your side to look out for your best interests, then contact us by text, phone, live chat, and one of our experienced Iowa workers' compensation attorneys will communicate with you at no cost, and your information will remain confidential. Also, if we do not think that we can help obtain additional compensation, we will tell you that as well.
If you are not ready for help but would like more information, then request our book entitled “Iowa Workers’ Compensation- An Insider’s Guide to Work Injuries”, which includes the Injured Workers Bill of Rights and 7 Myths about Iowa Work Injuries. We offer our book to you at no cost or risk because we have had too many injured Iowa workers contact us after they made a costly mistake, and we would like you to learn how to avoid making a mistake yourself.
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