Puncture Cuts from Construction Machinery Can Lead to a Hand or Limb Amputation
If you work at a California construction site and have received a puncture cut or deep laceration from working with broken or defective construction machinery or equipment, you may have serious problems with healing of that wound. Any time that you sustain a puncture wound from an interaction with dangerous construction equipment, you will be risking acquiring a puncture wound. Puncture wounds are either superficial or deep cut wounds, and they can result in an infection.1 A superficial infection can affect the skin and subcutaneous tissues of the hand, whereas a deeper infection may involve other areas of the hand related to movement, including:
- Tendon sheaths
- Nearby compartments
- Deep fascial planes
- Bursae
- Joint spaces
- Bones1
If you get an inflammation of the nail fold, you can lose your nail as a result of this type of infection. Any time you have an infection, you can risk also getting a progressive bacterial infection which can result in an infection that is difficult to heal, which can lead to serious problems later.
Puncture Wounds on the Construction Site Can Be Caused from Lack of Training on Equipment or Safety Devices Wrongfully Removed from Equipment
Construction sites are busy areas and sometimes there can be confusion as to how equipment works, or is supposed to work properly. Everyone on a construction job site needs to be properly trained on how to safely work the equipment. It is the responsibility of the job foreman, operations manager and owner of the site and company using the site to train all personnel and workers properly and safely, on how to use the equipment safely at the construction site. Additionally, if there are any machines that are unsafe, that should be found and fixed with a daily review of the site, to ensure all safety measures are in place for the site to operate to the benefit of all personnel at that location. Whenever there are hands and limbs exposed to machinery, plant tools and hand tools, there is a risk that there can be a serious injury that can affect:
- Broken bones
- Broken limbs
- Internal organ damage
- Piercing wounds
- Puncture wounds
- Lacerations
- Joint and open wounds
- Open and closed fractures
- Accidental amputations
- Death
If you have been injured on a construction site, then you need to call the California construction lawyers at Walch Law to review your case with you. We understand that you may still be under your doctor’s care orders, and that the healing process for a serious injury will take many weeks to months to heal. You can call us now to review your claim. It is the responsibility of the owner of the construction company, foreman and supervisors, to ensure that the job site is safe, and if this has happened to you, it is easy to just call Walch Law at (844)999-5342. We are able to talk to you about your case, and can explain the next steps to receiving a full recovery compensation package for your personal injury claim.
References
1Rerucha, C. M., Ewing, J. T., Oppenlander, K. E., & Cowan, W. C. (2019). Acute Hand Infections. American Family Physician, 99(4), 228–236.