Allentown workplace injuries impact thousands of local workers each year. From repetitive motion injuries at Amazon’s fulfillment centers to slip and falls at Lehigh Valley Hospital, from heavy machinery accidents at Mack Trucks to construction injuries throughout Lehigh County—over 3,000 Allentown workers annually join Pennsylvania’s statewide total of nearly 200,000 workplace accident victims.
These Allentown work injuries create dual financial burdens: mounting medical expenses and significant lost wages during recovery periods. Pennsylvania workers’ compensation insurance exists specifically to protect Allentown employees during these difficult times, providing essential medical coverage and wage replacement benefits regardless of who caused the workplace accident.
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry’s latest data reveals distinct patterns in Allentown workers’ compensation claims, with certain injuries occurring more frequently across the city’s dominant industries. Understanding these common Allentown workplace injuries helps workers identify potential hazards and know their compensation rights when accidents occur.
If you’ve suffered any of these common workplace injuries in Allentown, the experienced Allentown workers’ compensation attorneys at Munley Law can guide you through securing maximum benefits for your specific injury type. Contact our Allentown office today for a free consultation about your workers’ compensation claim.
Sprains and Strains: Common Workplace Injury Incidents in Allentown
According to the Pennsylvania DLI, common injuries in workers’ compensation claims, like sprains and strains, are prevalent across all industries. Both are soft tissue trauma. Sprains refer to damage that occurs to tendons or ligaments, and strains refer to muscle damage. Sprains and strains can be minor and do not always require medical attention. Sometimes an ice pack and a little rest help injured employees recover quickly. However, severe sprains and strains are painful and often require some healing downtime.
Two of the most significant issues with sprains and strains include the potential for doing further damage and the increased likelihood of suffering similar physical damage in the future. Employees who try to cope with a severe sprain or strain without seeking medical attention because they do not want to file a claim risk causing further trauma to the affected area. A sprain or strain occurs when the soft tissue is stretched or pulled beyond its normal range. Continued use without proper mobilization or healing time can lead to a painful tear in the soft tissue, often requiring surgery.
Allentown Workers’ Comp Claims for Contusions and Crush Injuries
The second most popular type of accidents that lead to workers’ compensation claims in Allentown and throughout Pennsylvania are contusions and crush trauma. A contusion is a bruise. Bruises occur when someone experiences a direct blow or impact from another object or person, damaging the blood vessels right below the skin’s surface. The types of bruises that lead to a claim are massive.
Crush injuries commonly occur around heavy machinery, especially among warehouse employees, emphasizing the importance of consulting an Allentown warehouse workers’ compensation lawyer. They often happen when an Allentown warehouse worker gets caught or trapped in between something, such as in between a piece of machinery and a wall or the ground, or in between two pieces of machinery. Crush trauma can be minor, but severe cases might lead to fatalities, triggering the necessity to understand workers’ compensation death benefits in Allentown.
Crush accidents come with secondary issues, including:
- Bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Muscle, ligament, tendon, and other tissue damage
- Fractures
- Cuts
- Infections
Allentown Workers’ Comp Benefits for Cuts, Lacerations, and Puncture Wounds
The Pennsylvania DLI reports that cuts, lacerations, and puncture wounds are the third most common accidents across the state. Cuts refer to what people commonly think of when they injure themselves with a knife or other object that breaks the skin in a straight line. Lacerations are similar to cuts but jagged; the skin rips or tears. Puncture wounds occur when a sharp object breaks through one or more layers of skin.
When a derma band or STERIS trip cannot repair a cut, laceration, or puncture wound, doctors often use staples or stitches in the wound for it to heal. These types of injuries typically leave scars. In the most severe cases, an employee might need surgery to repair the wound and potentially some cosmetic surgery to reduce scarring. The exact treatment depends on the specifics of the physical harm suffered.
Fractures and Broken Bones in Allentown Employee Compensation Claims
You might think that broken bones and fractures are the most common type of accident in Allentown, but fractures are lower on the list. Regardless, broken bones that occur in workplaces almost always lead to a claim. Doctors have to immobilize a break, no matter how small. This requires a splint, at the very least, but most who suffer fractures must wear a cast for at least six weeks.
Even the most minor fracture can impair someone’s ability to do their job and force a worker to take some time off or a reduced schedule, leading to a claim. Breaking a finger or a toe interferes with manual activities and mobility. Leg fractures require a cast and crutches, making it impossible for injured team members to do anything but desk duties.
Workers’ Compensation for Allentown Employees with Burn Injuries
The final most common work injuries in Allentown are burn injuries. Employees, particularly healthcare workers, can suffer severe burns from electricity, heat, and chemicals depending on their work environment, making assistance from an Allentown healthcare worker injury lawyer beneficial. Medical professionals assess heat burns by degree. Even minor first-degree burns can lead to a claim if they cover a large portion of the body. More severe heat burns extend through multiple layers of skin, and some even expose the bone. Burn victims who experience the most severe burns typically have to spend weeks or months in a hospital burn unit to heal.
Lost Wages and Compensation Programs for Employees with Burn Injuries
Chemical burns and electrical burns are similar to the extent that they can also cause internal organ damage in addition to external physical damage to exposed areas of the body. Chemical burns are often a result of exposure to corrosive substances, including things such as:
- Ammonia, bleach, and other cleaning products
- Battery acid
- Concrete mix
Those who suffer chemical burns face loss of vision if the substance gets in their eyes. If chemicals peel the skin away from a person, skin grafts are also necessary for chemical burn victims. Electrical burns occur when someone is exposed to live electric currents, or a spark causes a fire—common scenarios in construction sites where an Allentown construction accident lawyer may help.
Other Workplace Injuries Leading to Workers’ Compensation Claims
We covered the most common accidents according to Pennsylvania’s Department of Labor and Industry. However, staff sometimes suffer more than one injury. Also, they might suffer other less common trauma, such as amputation which would result in specific loss benefits. Toxic chemical exposure can also lead to being hurt while on the job.
We also have decades of experience handling cases involving traumatic brain injuries sustained on the job. Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) can occur after a fall, a motor vehicle accident, or after being struck with a heavy object, often requiring specialized legal assistance.. The Allentown workers’ compensation lawyers at Munley Law know how serious and complex this type of trauma can be, and we will fight to ensure you receive fair financial support..
How an Allentown Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Provides Assistance
In many situations, injured team members can file a claim, receive benefits while they heal, make a full recovery, and return to their jobs. However, this isn’t always the case. A lawyer can guide you through the claims process, and in certain situations involving outside parties, an attorney can assist with third-party claims in workers’ compensation to secure additional compensation.
Specific ways a lawyer can help after an Allentown workplace injury include:
- Helping seek when an insurance company denies a workers’ comp claim.
- Identifying potential third parties who might hold some financial responsibility for injuries.
- Helping injured workers take action when an employer retaliates or threatens to retaliate after filing a claim.
If you have suffered an injury at your place of employment, contact an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer for a free case review. One of our team members can evaluate your case, determine your eligibility for damages, and guide you on the best path forward for your situation.
Reviewed by Bernadine Munley, Esq., Personal Injury Attorney at Munley Law, on May 29, 2025.
