Skilled Chattanooga Workers' Compensation Lawyers Serving Workers Injured in the Carpet Industry
Helping injured workers in Tennessee and North Georgia recover compensation for workplace injuries and occupational diseases
Most of the carpet mills in the United States are located close to Dalton, Georgia in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they make 85 percent of the carpet sold in the U.S. and 45 percent of commercial carpet sold throughout the world. It is the “Carpet Capital of the World.” These carpet mills emerged from a previous industry of tufted bedspreads using machinery developed right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Carpet mills that manufacture the carpeting in your home, in commercial locations, and inside of vehicles, trains and airplanes use massive machines with fast moving, dangerous parts. When workers sustain workplace injuries, they can make a claim for benefits through the state’s workers’ compensation program.
At the law firm of Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we are steadfast advocates for the hard-working men and women of Tennessee and North Georgia. We are a family team of Chattanooga work injury attorneys who care about you and your family. We care about making sure that you receive all the benefits that are due to you.
Carpet mills in Chattanooga and Dalton
The following are just a few examples of some of the mills that manufacture the bulk of the carpet used in homes and commercial locations throughout the U.S:
- Glen Eden Wool Carpet
- Magic Carpets
- Legacy Mills
- Lexmark Carpet Mills
- Southwind Carpet Mills
- Earth Weave Carpet Mills
- Krause Carpet Mill
Examples of workplace injuries which may give rise to workers’' compensation claims
Workers' compensation is a state program designed to cover the medical expenses and a partial wage-loss benefit for workers who sustain injuries at work. If a worker dies in a workplace accident, workers' compensation covers death benefits for the dependents of the deceased. It also covers a vocational rehabilitation services and lump sum payments for the permanent loss of use as in the case of limb loss or hearing loss. Some of the more common workplace injuries include:
- Slip, trip and fall injuries
- Overexertion
- Struck by an object
- Crushing injuries
- Toxic exposure
- Equipment or machinery accidents
- Falls from height
- Violence in the workplace
Sometimes, in these vast machines that are as wide as a massive room, workers can suffer serious injuries and death. Last year, a worker got caught in a piece of carpet making machine and was killed. Last fall, a female employee at a carpet mill in Chatsworth, suffered a fatal workplace injury because she was fatally injured by an unguarded machine. The company received a serious violation and fine of nearly $13,000 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHSA).
Workers’ compensation is not the only source of compensation for workplace injuries
Under most circumstances, workers are barred from suing their employer for on-the-job injuries because the workers’ compensation system was put in place to provide a no-fault, easily accessed program of benefits and services for injured workers. If a worker was injured because a piece of defective equipment malfunctioned, or if they were injured on a work site that is not owned by their employer, they may be able to recover additional compensation in a third-party personal injury claim against the responsible party.
With a third-party lawsuit, you would be able to recover a larger payout than from workers’ compensation because that program replaces just a portion of your lost wages, and it does not compensate you for pain and suffering or emotional distress.
How can a Chattanooga workers’ compensation attorney help my case?
Workers’ compensation is designed to be easy for workers to access. You must notify your employer about the accident or incident, seek immediate medical attention, and then file a claim for benefits. But what happens if you are injured at work, you follow all the required steps, but then you get a letter from your employer’s insurer telling you that your claim has been denied? Just because your employer’s insurer denied your claim does not mean that you are ineligible for benefits. It just means that you might need the services of a trusted workers’ compensation attorney to guide you through the hearings and appeals process.
You never have to worry about being able to afford the services of a trusted team of Chattanooga workplace injury lawyers because at Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we take cases on contingency, so you do not pay attorney fees until we recover compensation for you. Whether you work in the carpet mill industry, or any other type of industry, we are here to protect your rights and to fight for fair compensation on your behalf.
Work with a trusted Chattanooga workers’ compensation attorney
At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we genuinely want to help improve our community and help injured workers in every way possible. If you need help obtaining workers’ compensation benefits, please call our Chattanooga workers’ compensation lawyers at 423-756-7923 or fill out our contact form. From Chattanooga to Cleveland, TN, and throughout North Georgia, we are here to protect the rights of injured workers in all surrounding counties.