Welding can create serious health and safety risks. At least 1 in 250 construction workers will suffer a fatal welding accident over their lifetime. There are many regulations about welding required by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other authorities to improve safety outcomes.
If your employer put you in a dangerous welding situation and you got hurt, or if you’ve welded over a long career and got an occupational injury, you may be able to seek compensation. Our Tucson welding accident attorneys are ready to fight on your behalf for compensation.
The Risks of Welding
Welding exposes workers to dangerous metal fumes and light bright and hot enough to burn you. It is also a noisy profession, leading to hearing damage if the ears aren’t protected. Some of the occupational risks of welding include:
- Asthma
- Pneumonia
- Lung cancer
- COPD
- Welder’s Lung
- Asphyxiation in confined spaces
- Burns
- Contact dermatitis
- Neurological disorders from manganese exposure
- Ocular melanoma
- Arc-eye
- Hearing damage
These are all possible even in normal usage, but when workers are placed in a negligent situation, a welding machine can cause severe injuries or death. Your tissues have a far lower melting point than metals.
If employers give workers proper PPE, including respirators for dangerous metals, you may never need to file a workers’ compensation claim about a welding accident. If you do get injured while welding on the job, here’s what you need to know.
For a free legal consultation with a welding accidents lawyer serving Tucson, call (866) 499-8989
Workers Compensation and Welding Accidents
In nearly all cases, a welding accident caused by someone else’s negligence is going to happen on a job site. This means you’ll need to work with the workers’ compensation system to get money for your injuries and for lost wages.
The great thing about workers’ compensation is that it’s a no-fault system. You don’t have to prove your employer was negligent, just prove your injuries and show you’re working for your employer. There is a procedure you must follow, and we can help you follow it.
In many cases, workers’ compensation pays fair amounts to settle injury claims. But sometimes they deny claims or pay too little. Convicting the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) that you need more money is hard without legal representation. We can help you if you’re facing this situation.
Tucson Welding Accident Lawyer Near Me (866) 499-8989
When Should I Start My Welding Accident Claim?
Under Arizona’s workers’ compensation system, there are several responsibilities you have as an injured worker. First, you need to notify your workplace that you were injured as soon as you notice the injury.
Then, you need to see a doctor approved by your employer, which can usually be found on the labor poster in your workplace. Notify them you were injured on the job and you’ll receive a Worker’s and Physician’s Report of Injury form, also known as the 102 or the pink form.
This form is sent to the ICA and officially starts your claim. You have up to one year after the date of your injury or noticing it. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get a favorable result, and if you go beyond a year, then you may lose all right to compensation.
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How a Welding Accident Attorney Can Help You
While it is unnecessary to hire a welding accident lawyer to start your workers’ compensation claim, speaking with one can ensure your claim goes through correctly. Simply bring the pink form your doctor gives you to your consultation, and we can give you some advice.
Where you definitely need one is if your claim is denied or far less than you expected. That’s the time to bring in legal firepower, and Zanes Law is ready to give it to you. We know how to work with the Industrial Commission of Arizona to push claims through the appeals process in your favor.
A welding accident can leave you with injuries for the rest of your life. Now is the time to fight as hard as you can to get compensation for your injuries. We will be your advocate during your appeal, and even in the courts, should your case go that far.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
Take the First Step Toward Compensation
To take the first step toward compensation, contact the welding accident lawyers in Tucson at Zanes Law. We’ve been helping people with injury claims since 2003, and we can help you, too. Find out how in a free consultation.
Simply call us or contact us online to schedule your appointment. Your consultation is free, as is our help unless we help you win your case.
Call or text (866) 499-8989 or complete a
Free Case Evaluation form
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