Workers' Compensation
If you work in the airline industry, you may face some specific challenges and hazards on a daily basis.
If you’ve suffered injury in the course of fulfilling your work duties, you may be struggling with severe pain or permanent health problems that can make it difficult to get back to everyday life.
If you were injured while working for an airline in North Carolina, the attorneys at Mehta & McConnell, PLLC can help.
Below are some of the most common airline industry injuries.
1. Musculoskeletal Disorders
One common airline worker injury is a musculoskeletal disorder, or MSD, caused by pushing, pulling, or lifting.
It can also result from constricted postures, performing repetitive motions, long periods of standing, or twisting.
Additionally, turbulence on the airplane can potentially cause a musculoskeletal disorder in airline employees.
A musculoskeletal disorder is an injury to your muscles or bones, or even to your tendons or nerves.
Some symptoms of a musculoskeletal disorder are:
- Numbness,
- Tingling,
- Swelling,
- Pain, and
- Stiffness.
There are ways you can reduce the chance of this type of injury occurring. These habits include avoiding twisting your back and minimizing overhead lifting.
One type of musculoskeletal injury you could develop as an airline worker is a back or neck injury—especially if you’re a baggage handler.
Baggage handlers can move a great deal of luggage containers during a single workday.
This can cause problems in the shoulders and back or cause wear and tear on the muscles or joints.
This is because so much of the work of a baggage handler involves repetitive movements that can result in serious injuries.
2. Slip and Fall Injuries
Slip-and-fall injuries are unfortunately all too common in the airline industry for workers.
In fact, falls are one of the most common injuries in the workplace and can cause serious health problems or even death.
This type of injury is largely a risk for ground service workers who clear the runways and maintain aircraft.
3. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
An injury that can be experienced by office workers in the airline industry is carpal tunnel syndrome.
This can be caused by the repetitive motions performed each day on the job.
You can potentially recover for carpal tunnel syndrome under workers’ compensation if you developed this condition on the job.
4. Hearing Loss
Another common airline worker injury is hearing loss. Due to loud noises on the aircraft, hearing loss to pilots and flight attendants can sometimes occur.
The aircraft can make loud noises while getting ready to take off or while braking, or as a result of the engines running while on the ground.
It can also happen after take off due to the aircraft engines or turbulence. It can even occur due to announcements made during a flight.
This is a bit more difficult to measure than a musculoskeletal disorder because hearing loss happens over a long period of time.
While most aircraft noise measurements meet accepted standards recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), noise levels sometimes exceed those standards.
It is important to wear hearing protection if you are being exposed to noise levels that are too high.
If you believe you have suffered hearing loss, you should first let your doctor know.
Once you have provided them with detailed information, your next step is to contact an attorney who can help you further.
5. Cancer
While it might be surprising, cancer is another possible airline industry injury suffered by employees. It is mostly seen in flight attendants.
Flight attendants suffer a higher risk of multiple forms of cancer including cervical cancer, thyroid cancer, and uterine cancer.
This is a possible risk in part due to cosmic radiation, which is a type of ionizing radiation. Sometimes, enough ionizing radiation can cause cancer.
The problem with this is that you might not know if you have been exposed to the radiation or not.
Other potential causes of cancer among flight attendants include disrupted sleep cycles and chemicals within the aircraft.
Reach Out To Our Workers’ Comp Attorneys at Mehta & McConnell, PLLC Today
Recovering from an airline industry injury is not an easy process for anyone to go through, but you don’t have to go through it alone.
The workers’ compensation attorneys at Mehta & McConnell, PLLC can help.
Our attorneys are both board-certified as experts in workers’ compensation law by the North Carolina State Bar.
Besides workers’ compensation, our practice areas include lost wages, occupational diseases, and more.
Call our attorneys today at 980-399-5479 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Viral Mehta
Viral Mehta is the managing attorney of Mehta & McConnell Injury Lawyers, a Charlotte, North Carolina Workers’ Compensation law firm. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, sports, and reading.
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