If you have suffered a toe injury in a work accident, you may need medical treatment and time off from work.
Our toes enable us to walk, balance and help support our body weight. When it comes to maintaining balance, the big toe plays a pivotal role, and it bears almost 90% of our body weight when walking. The toes comprise of a number of very small bones that can easily break as a result of trauma. Even the tendons, cartilage and ligaments can get easily torn or damaged.
If you have seriously injured your toes due to a workplace injury, you are entitled to receive workers compensation benefits.
Symptoms of Toe Injuries
Some of the common symptoms of a toe injury include:
- Pain
- Tenderness
- Bruising
- Swelling
- Inability to move the toe through a normal range of motion
- Inability to bear weight
Common Toe Injuries
Some of the most common types of toe injuries include:
- Bone fractures: A trauma or impact can cause the bone to crack or completely break
- Crushed cartilage: Cartilage in the toe joint can get damaged
- Sprains and strains: Damage or tear to the tendons and ligaments in the toe joint
- Dislocation: Bones can slip out of alignment and cause the ligaments to tear or get stretched
- Tennis toe: Repeated slamming of the foot into the front of the shoe can cause blood to pool under the nail of the big toe
- Turf toe: Hyperextension of the toe can cause damage to the ligaments around the big toe
- Overuse injuries: Prolonged stress can cause injury to the muscle, tendons, bones or soft tissues.
The worst toe injury a worker can suffer is amputation. It can result from trauma or may be done surgically to prevent complications.
Causes of Toe Injuries
Toe injuries can result from impacts, trauma, prolonged stress, falls or degenerative conditions. Some of the other causes include:
- Slips and falls: Slips can cause the foot to twist or impact the toe with another object
- Kicking trauma: Toe may accidentally get kicked or stubbed on the ground or another object. This can cause bruising, laceration, dislocation and fractures.
- Machinery accidents: Toe injuries can result from accidents involving machinery, such as farm machinery and similar bladed tools
- Overuse: It can trigger inflammatory toe conditions
- Frostbite or burns: It can cause tissue to die and the worker may need to undergo surgical amputation.
Occupations at High Risk of Toe Injuries
While any worker can suffer a toe injury, people in certain professions are at a higher risk compared to others. These include:
- Professional sportsperson
- Tradespeople
- Laborers
- Workers using machinery
Workers in many industries are required to wear steel capped shoes to prevent toe injuries. However, sometimes employers are too negligent in providing appropriate safety shoes, and in some cases, workers fail to wear them.
Seeking Workers Compensation for Toe Injuries
If you have suffered a toe injury in a workplace accident, you may need medical treatment and time off from work. You can claim workers compensation benefits to cover your medical bills and a part of lost wages. Contact the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann by calling (314) 361-4300 or by filling out our online contact form.