The Most Common Workplace Injuries Suffered By Florida Truck Drivers
Brian O Sutter
Workers’ Compensation
Truck drivers in the Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, or North Port areas work a tough job. While many might not think about truck driving when they think of “difficult” professions, the CDC has reported that truck drivers in Florida and beyond suffer a disproportionate number of serious injuries, illnesses, and fatalities on the job when compared to other professions. Some of the most common workplace injuries suffered by Florida truck drivers are:
• Neck and back injuries – Spinal injuries of the neck and back can be devastating, and they’re some of the single most common injuries suffered by Florida’s truck drivers. These may occur while lifting and loading heavy cargo, they may be caused by sitting in driving position for long hours, even the vibration of the truck may contribute to damage to their spine over time.
•Arm injuries – Injuries to the arms, wrists, and shoulders are another common category for truck drivers. Repetitive movement of the arms can lead to muscle sprains and strains, especially if these movements are repeated over the course of years.
• Leg injuries – Injuries to knees, hips, ankles, and toes are also commonly experienced. Much like arm and wrist injuries, these most often happen due to the repetitive movements required to drive a truck for long hours in a single sitting.
• Traumatic brain injuries – Traumatic brain injuries, while maybe not as common as spinal, arm, or leg injuries, are some of the most serious and catastrophic. A minor head injury may lead to days off the job, while a moderate or severe brain injury may result in the loss of one’s career. Traumatic brain injuries can be tricky to treat and require weeks, months, or years of continued medical care.
How Do These Injuries Happen?
While some injuries, like traumatic brain injuries, most commonly occur during accidents, this isn’t always the case when it comes to all injuries sustained by truck drivers in Florida. Truck drivers in Florida tend to spend long hours on the road, sometimes driving 10 to 12 hours at a time in order to get to their destination on time. Working these long hours takes a toll on one’s body, and this may lead to difficult injuries over time. Additionally, many of these hours are spent sedentary, so some parts of the body may be in a relaxed state, while others are working overtime. This lack of balance within the body creates an environment ripe for injury.
Truck driving also requires a great deal of repetitive movements. This repetition for hours at a time and over the course of years takes a toll on the body. Much like someone who types on a keyboard all day suffering from carpal tunnel after years of these repetitive movements, truck drivers experience the same when turning the wheel, switching gears, and working the pedals.
Truck driving isn’t solely about driving the truck; there’s also loading, unloading, stepping down off of the truck, and working warehouses upon arrival or before leaving for another trip. Accidents leading to spinal injuries are more common in these spaces.
If you’ve been injured at work as a Florida truck driver, a worker’s compensation lawyer can help you to get the compensation you deserve. Florida’s truck drivers are crucial to keeping the state running, and compensation is crucial to getting truck drivers feeling better and back on the road once again.