Charlotte Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Textile Industry Employees

Helping secure the financial benefits textile workers deserve in the wake of their injuries

North Carolina possesses the largest textile mill industry in the United States. It employs nearly 28,000 workers among about 700 textile manufacturing centers. With such an overwhelming industry presence, there is a continual presence of supply chain partners and skilled workers in the area. The legal team at Warren & Kallianos is highly experienced at helping injured workers obtain the compensation they deserve after sustaining on-the-job injuries or illnesses that put them out of commission. Contact our Charlotte workers’ compensation attorneys to find out how we can help you secure the financial recovery you need.

Textile Facility Worker Injury Risks in North Carolina

Many textile mill workers perform their duties on or around the production floor. They often perform strenuous tasks that require them to bend over and also stand for long periods of time. These mills are also noisy and are home to various odors and airborne fibers that can produce illness and injury when inhaled.

Personal safety equipment and machinery such as earplugs, facemasks, and protective clothing can reduce the hazardous nature of textile mill workplace environments. However, there is still the opportunity for serious injuries to occur in North Carolina textile mills. Some of the work injuries sustained can result from long term stress and strain on a portion of the body or a sudden traumatic incident.

Some of the common reasons why textile mill injuries occur include:

• Overexertion –Repetitive stretching to reach, bending, lifting, grasping, pushing, and pulling can create cumulative strain or sudden trauma to the body. Injuries can include muscle tears, tendon and ligament tears, and damage to soft tissue
• Slip and fall incidents– The floor surfaces within textile mills are often covered with loose fibers and dust which present a danger to workers as a slipping and tripping hazard. Slip and fall accidents can cause injuries that require time off from work in order to heal.
• Repetitive motion injury (RMI)– When the same work is repeated over and over again for hours, days, weeks, and months on end, the tendons, ligaments, and muscles in various parts of the body such as the shoulders, hands, fingers, wrists, etc. can suffer serious chronic injury.
• Exposure to dust and fibers –Workers in textile mills must be provided with masks to prevent inhalation of dangerous fibers. When these fibers are inhaled, such as natural fibers (wool and cotton) or synthetic fibers, a worker can develop severe damage to their respiratory system, affecting their ability to breathe properly. In addition, the inhalation of asbestos material can lead to mesothelioma.
• Crushing or tearing Injury– Mill workers operate in an environment many times that leaves them at risk for tearing and crushing injuries. When fingers, hands, and arms become trapped inside motorized equipment, the results can be catastrophic, including the loss of limbs and digits.
• Chemical exposure – When workers inhale dye particles due to the processing and dyeing of materials, they can develop severe respiratory issues.
• Falling object injuries– Bundled and stacked materials that are stored at elevated heights in textile mills can pose a risk to workers below when those objects, due to misplacement, jarring, or uneven loading, fall and cause injury.
• Work-related explosions and fires– Certain airborne particles have the potential to ignite, posing significant danger to employees.

Legal Compensation Available for Injured Textile Workers in NC

When a textile mill accident occurs, the injured worker has a right to file for financial compensation through his or her employer’s workers’ comp insurance. This program, which is managed by the state of North Carolina, can help you secure various types of compensation, including:

• Lost work time. If you are absent from work for more than seven days due to your textile mill injury, you are eligible to receive two-thirds of your average weekly pay up to a certain cap based on the calendar year of the injury. An injury that keeps you out of service for more than 21 days makes you qualified to receive benefits for all of the days you are out of work up until you return to work.
• Medical costs. Expenses related to medications, diagnostic testing, office visits, and other treatment provided by medical personnel for an illness or injury resulting from a workplace accident is typically handled by workers’ compensation.
• Permanent partial or total disability. These benefits are paid if you are partly or totally disabled even after your doctors have determined you have reached “maximum medical improvement,” which means your condition is not expected to improve any further.
• Travel cost reimbursement. If you are required to travel over 20 miles round-trip to receive medical treatment and care for your work injury, your workers’ compensation benefits should provide compensation for this mileage.

Help from a Charlotte Workers’ Compensation Lawyer After Your Textile Mill Injury

If you have received a work injury as a North Carolina textile mill employee, our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Warren & Kallianos can help you seek and secure the compensation you are owed for your losses. To schedule a free, initial consultation, call us right now 704-377-7777 or use our contact form to send us a request.