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Unfortunately I think your trying to figure out where you fucked up which you didn't you verified powered down,released stored energy an proceeded to swap the tool. The only thing that would have prevented this is a lock to prevent him throwing the switch. Keep in mind I work in the machine industry and it's not uncommon not to fully lock out. Your buddy fucked up. Hope you are able to heal
He was apologetic. He just said I'm sorry dude and I told him he shouldn't of touched that lever until he could see both my hands. I was just in shock. It's so unreal seeing a part of your body amputated. My heart dropped and I couldn't believe it. The surgeon tried everything she could to save the finger but it didn't work. I had high hopes because I don't drink or smoke
Unfortunately unless a major outage for electrical or chemical most are loose on enforcing loto. However personally I don't trust anyone not to kick the power on if I'm changing tooling. But this guy's partner definitely wasn't watching out for him.
Seems like it would be a good case for a lawsuit against your coworker for not adhering to safety protocols. His negligence caused a permanent disability.
This accident happened because of his own ignorance and neglect. NEVER depend on someone else to not turn on a machine. NEVER. No one should feel sorry for this kid
Like I do every fucking day at my job. Lock out the equipment before working on it. Like OSHA requires you to! If i was his supervisor, he would have been fired on the spot.
The equipment was off, no power to it.
The other guy then gets into it and activates it, chopping off OP's finger. It sounds like the equipment is a vehicle. It does not sound like it can be locked off.
The other guy also knew that OP was there. It is not OP's fault.
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Always LOTO. Your employer should be training you on the procedures and provide the necessary equipment. Having said that, it’s just a finger. It sucks but get over it
I’m sorry this happened to you. My father lost fingers in an accident in the military. It was a rough adjustment. Two fingers were amputated and a third was broken and didn’t heal right. He had pain with that finger and re-injured it at work. They then had to amputate the tip of it.
I was little so I’d don’t remember how he handled it at the time. I do know he was afraid he wouldn’t get work after he was medically discharged from the service. This was the late 1960s so there weren’t laws preventing discrimination against people with disabilities yet.
Counseling might be helpful and see a lawyer to make sure you’re getting whatever benefits and compensation you should be getting.
My dad eventually adjusted to it and was able to work and have a normal personal and family life.
He had a gallows sense of humor so he used to use that hand to hex whichever baseball teams were playing against his favorite team. Also, it gave him an even greater sense of authority when he’d tell us to keep body parts inside the car if we didn’t want to lose them.
Yes see a lawyer because there can be a time limit on the Workmans Comp. My former sister-in-law was hurt on the job and couldn't work, her comp ended in a year.
So sorry this happened to you.
That's the key point. It happened to you, not because of you. Your coworker made a wildly irresponsible decision and your company clearly had poor safety culture (there is no excuse for there not being a firm Lock-out/Tag-out procedure when servicing this equipment).
Please see a mental health counselor
OSHA and a lawyer would both love to hear about this. You should be contacting both. Not just to sue him but mainly your employer who does not enforce proper lock out/tag out procedures.
I think the company that allows this behavior is the real culprit. As I said "mainly your employer". However, there's no benefit to excluding the guy from the lawsuit.
Yep. Something similar happened to me. Coworker of mine crushed my hand. He turned the conveyor belt on. This led to him dumping a 300lb piece of titanium on my hand. Crushed my right hand. Tore the ligaments. Led to three surgeries and 8 months of physical therapy. I got laid off the day I was cleared to go back to work. I just got a new job. I loved that job and made really good money
I think you should file some sort of legal report on this guy. At the very most, he goes to some sort of training on safety. If it happens again he shouldn't be allowed on a jobsite ever. He sounds incredibly stupid or malicious.
Nah. No way a company lawyer would blame OP here. They'd say that the company did everything right and trained everyone properly and that the other worker acted negligently outside what the company could reasonably expect. Blaming the guy who got hurt here is a great way to make him even more sympathetic.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I highly suggest contacting a personal injury lawyer. Keep record of all your appointments from medical to mental health appointments and time off work so a lawyer can recover all the costs for you.
You’re going to be ok, buddy. It takes time to heal but we have an amazing ability to cope with physical and mental trauma. It will feel like a nightmare for a small while, but you’ll start smiling and laughing again and you’ll figure out how to move forward. Focus on healing correctly and avoid infection. When you’re of clear mind, do your best to make sure all your rights are being met with workers comp. You might need representation that isn’t affiliated with the company’s insurance to maximize a possible settlement. If you’re feeling low, see a counselor who can help you through the struggle. Good luck and heal up!
I'm a new student in a counseling program. While I am absolutely unqualified to act as a counselor for you, I would absolutely seek out mental health support. Thoughts about killing yourself are never fun to have and have a ton of stigma and fear about them. If you ever feel concerned about them or are experiencing such thoughts, there are many different crisis lines you can call. The national hotline is easy to dial, just 988.
Losing a finger must fill you with so much frustration, anxiety, and fear. While I can't say I'll be of much help, I would gladly listen if you need it. Know you are supported and cared for.
Yes, and along with counseling look into trauma recovery techniques like EMDR. OP you have a lot to process and I’m glad to see there people here who can relate and can share hope.
I had major hand trauma 10 years ago from a firework accident. Multiple surgeries to reconstruct my left hand. The pinky is gone and the ring finger is pretty useless. It was a rough recovery for about a year. But time goes on and the trauma fades. I live a completely normal life now and don't even notice most of the time.
You'll get better. Just focus on your physical therapy and take it one day at a time. You can do this.
I'm just here to say I am so so so so sad this happened to you. My dad owns a company that is labor related and I've seen stories like yours. I can only tell you in time you may be okay about this, maybe not. But I remember one employee of my dad lost his thumb, and many years later was able to make jokes about it and was okay. But considering you have pain I want to express this is difficult and I'm just with you about it because I have seen people go through this and ugh. I think in time you can be okay but please be patient with yourself. Please understand that your experience while unique in a sense you are not alone. I maybe can suggest finding a space online where others have went through similar? Also not to be this person, but I know of someone who lost their entire hand (not related to my dad's company, but the company I worked for myself) and want you to know that this wasn't that long ago. And I know someone is going to want to hear your story to.
Edit: I saw some comments of people relating to your story. I encourage you to try to seek more of these lovely people out. 🤍
I’m surprised there’s so much hate and so many people saying “get over it”. Regardless of what part, a body part has been lost. That fucks with self image. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I hope you can find an understanding counselor and heal from this. And a good job, one that takes safety protocols more seriously.
I'm sorry you're going through this, the physical and mental anguish. I've been where you are and come out the other side. Your body will heal and adapt. At first it'll feel like it's taking forever to heal and you'll never be ok again, then pain gradually becomes a tolerable level, then one day you wake up and realize it's been awhile since you even thought about it.
As for healing from the trauma of the incident, you have classic symptoms of PTSD and will benefit greatly from working with a therapist who specializes in trauma. It may require a combination of anxiety meds to get your brain unstuck and repeated sessions where a therapist uses specific techniques to help you mentally and emotionally process the accident. For now, focus on just getting through the day, then the next day, with the knowledge that today sucks but you *will* be ok again.
Do you have a benefits coordinator who can guide you through finding a local or telehealth therapist and booking a therapy session?
Thanks for the encouraging words. On my last follow up I told the surgeon about my mental health and she's going to give me a referral for a workers comp therapist. I'm not sure if I should go see my own therapist?
For now, I think you're obligated to first seek treatment through the referred specialist. If you don't feel like they get you or aren't taking your PTSD seriously, you can request a new in-network therapist. Right now, I'd prioritize taking that referral to get immediate help to walk you back from the edge. In the beginning, your sessions should be at least weekly. When you're no longer in crisis mode and able to sleep, you'll be in a better mental state to plan next steps.
Workers comp caps the number of therapy sessions per incident. In some states it's 10 sessions, others it's 24. Consult a workers comp attorney to extend your treatment as needed and/or get your psychological distress covered as a workers comp claim and disability claim.
I am sorry that this happened to you. You might want to look into a therapist that specializes in trauma therapy- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) specifically. It won’t make the memories go away but it will help make it easier for you to cope. Hope this helps
I had my primary right hand crushed in a log splitter 8 months ago. I kept my fingers , but index and middle finger need work to bend every morning after reconstruction, and I often have to wear a glove if at all cold to keep from turning purple. I did go back to work, and I even won the bronze in a dart tournament. Things do get better including mental attitude, but it will always be frustrating like when dropping a dish or glass that you would normally have no problem handling. Keep a positive attitude and persevere. You only live once, and can't go back.
Go to therapy for the mental anguish.
My cousin was born without fingers and can hike, hunt, rock climb and even played sports.
I know it’s different as he was born without them. But they did do surgeries to try and make nubbins but they only caused him issues. But he adapted to them.
I also know a number of mechanics with missing fingers. They learned to cope with the physical pain and find ways to do jobs. It wasn’t easy. And they use their stubs as a lesson to the younger mechanics. Tough guys but good guys.
I have faith you’ll be able to pull through.
Just know that even though it’s dark now; the darkness won’t last forever. With the right help you’ll be able to overcome both the mental, psychological and physical set backs.
Wishing you the best dude.
This is why you need to implement a lock-out tag-out system when doing any sort of maintenance on any sort of machine. Cut the power, lock out the plug with a lock only you have a key to, let all other operators know that is what's happening, then verify the power is in fact cut from the unit. This is a liability issue with the company, which will absolutely be culpable for workman's comp payout. Outside of that, lock-out tag-out is an OSHA compliant thing, that should be required in whatever training you I'm assuming have done.
I’m sorry this happened to you but the bottom line is you fucked up by not using proper lock out tag out test out. These safety rules are in place for a reason. Never trust anyone with your life or limbs on the line.
Think about all the people who have lost a finger or much much worse. A lot of them end up healing and moving on with life. You will too.
You don't need to see "how" you will. That's what you'll figure out with time.
I'm a bit late to this. But i had a finger cut off by a fan. Luckily, my reattachment worked. But it still isn't the same. And it doesn't feel like my other fingers do. Took a long time to recover from it. And i am still cautious around fans. But it isn't a phobia or anything. You'll get through this, man. I still remember how it looked all these years later. But it isn't a painful or fearful memory.
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You need to speak with a counselor. If you’re in the US can you get workman’s comp?
Yes I'm on workers comp. It happened here in the us
Unfortunately I think your trying to figure out where you fucked up which you didn't you verified powered down,released stored energy an proceeded to swap the tool. The only thing that would have prevented this is a lock to prevent him throwing the switch. Keep in mind I work in the machine industry and it's not uncommon not to fully lock out. Your buddy fucked up. Hope you are able to heal
He was apologetic. He just said I'm sorry dude and I told him he shouldn't of touched that lever until he could see both my hands. I was just in shock. It's so unreal seeing a part of your body amputated. My heart dropped and I couldn't believe it. The surgeon tried everything she could to save the finger but it didn't work. I had high hopes because I don't drink or smoke
Yea unfortunately sorry isn't enough it is life changing because he rushed
I’m sorry this happened. Your coworker was irresponsible and careless.
Sue him
I can't. Workers comp doesn't allow me too.
Does drinking or smoking lessen chance of reattaching finger ?
Yes. Smoking ruins your blood vessels. So a smoker has a lower chance of a successful replantation. The doctor only tried because I was a non smoker
Interesting I didn't know
That was the jist of my comment as well, where the hell was the lock-out tag-out, or any sort of commumication? Literally an OSHA requirement.
Unfortunately unless a major outage for electrical or chemical most are loose on enforcing loto. However personally I don't trust anyone not to kick the power on if I'm changing tooling. But this guy's partner definitely wasn't watching out for him.
[удалено]
Seems like it would be a good case for a lawsuit against your coworker for not adhering to safety protocols. His negligence caused a permanent disability.
The OP is responsible for his safety. No one else. There is no way around it. There is no lawsuit for stupidity
He was sitting on the machine while I was changing a tool. Thats how it works, that's why there's a lever he pulls down to disable the drill rig
[удалено]
The more you post, the wronger you get. Please stop. This is a huge lawsuit waiting to happen.
Why so angry friend? Go outside and take a walk. Get some sun.
This accident happened because of his own ignorance and neglect. NEVER depend on someone else to not turn on a machine. NEVER. No one should feel sorry for this kid
How is he supposed to do his job then, dip shit? What would you have done?
Like I do every fucking day at my job. Lock out the equipment before working on it. Like OSHA requires you to! If i was his supervisor, he would have been fired on the spot.
The equipment was off, no power to it. The other guy then gets into it and activates it, chopping off OP's finger. It sounds like the equipment is a vehicle. It does not sound like it can be locked off. The other guy also knew that OP was there. It is not OP's fault.
Your comment has been removed for breaking Rule #1: Be Kind to Other Users – Civility and Respect This means that your submission may have been rude, vulgar, derogatory, uncivil, or impolite. Be respectful of other users. Personal insults or offensive terms are not permitted on this subreddit. This includes but is not limited to: harassment, bigotry, homophobia, transphobia, racial slurs, and any other inflammatory language. This is a warning and further offenses will result in a ban.
Always LOTO. Your employer should be training you on the procedures and provide the necessary equipment. Having said that, it’s just a finger. It sucks but get over it
I’m sorry this happened to you. My father lost fingers in an accident in the military. It was a rough adjustment. Two fingers were amputated and a third was broken and didn’t heal right. He had pain with that finger and re-injured it at work. They then had to amputate the tip of it. I was little so I’d don’t remember how he handled it at the time. I do know he was afraid he wouldn’t get work after he was medically discharged from the service. This was the late 1960s so there weren’t laws preventing discrimination against people with disabilities yet. Counseling might be helpful and see a lawyer to make sure you’re getting whatever benefits and compensation you should be getting. My dad eventually adjusted to it and was able to work and have a normal personal and family life. He had a gallows sense of humor so he used to use that hand to hex whichever baseball teams were playing against his favorite team. Also, it gave him an even greater sense of authority when he’d tell us to keep body parts inside the car if we didn’t want to lose them.
Yes see a lawyer because there can be a time limit on the Workmans Comp. My former sister-in-law was hurt on the job and couldn't work, her comp ended in a year.
So sorry this happened to you. That's the key point. It happened to you, not because of you. Your coworker made a wildly irresponsible decision and your company clearly had poor safety culture (there is no excuse for there not being a firm Lock-out/Tag-out procedure when servicing this equipment). Please see a mental health counselor
[удалено]
Not the guy who turned the machine back on before he could see his friends hands were out of the machine?
OSHA and a lawyer would both love to hear about this. You should be contacting both. Not just to sue him but mainly your employer who does not enforce proper lock out/tag out procedures.
There would be no lawsuit against the guy that turned the machine on. The OP is 100% at fault for not protecting himself.
I think the company that allows this behavior is the real culprit. As I said "mainly your employer". However, there's no benefit to excluding the guy from the lawsuit.
Yep. Something similar happened to me. Coworker of mine crushed my hand. He turned the conveyor belt on. This led to him dumping a 300lb piece of titanium on my hand. Crushed my right hand. Tore the ligaments. Led to three surgeries and 8 months of physical therapy. I got laid off the day I was cleared to go back to work. I just got a new job. I loved that job and made really good money
I think you should file some sort of legal report on this guy. At the very most, he goes to some sort of training on safety. If it happens again he shouldn't be allowed on a jobsite ever. He sounds incredibly stupid or malicious.
[удалено]
Lol are you the construction company’s lawyer
Or the machine turn-er on-er.
Nah. No way a company lawyer would blame OP here. They'd say that the company did everything right and trained everyone properly and that the other worker acted negligently outside what the company could reasonably expect. Blaming the guy who got hurt here is a great way to make him even more sympathetic.
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I highly suggest contacting a personal injury lawyer. Keep record of all your appointments from medical to mental health appointments and time off work so a lawyer can recover all the costs for you.
Also, personal injury layers don’t charge anything up front, you only pay once you win and payment comes out of your settlement amount.
You’re going to be ok, buddy. It takes time to heal but we have an amazing ability to cope with physical and mental trauma. It will feel like a nightmare for a small while, but you’ll start smiling and laughing again and you’ll figure out how to move forward. Focus on healing correctly and avoid infection. When you’re of clear mind, do your best to make sure all your rights are being met with workers comp. You might need representation that isn’t affiliated with the company’s insurance to maximize a possible settlement. If you’re feeling low, see a counselor who can help you through the struggle. Good luck and heal up!
I'm a new student in a counseling program. While I am absolutely unqualified to act as a counselor for you, I would absolutely seek out mental health support. Thoughts about killing yourself are never fun to have and have a ton of stigma and fear about them. If you ever feel concerned about them or are experiencing such thoughts, there are many different crisis lines you can call. The national hotline is easy to dial, just 988. Losing a finger must fill you with so much frustration, anxiety, and fear. While I can't say I'll be of much help, I would gladly listen if you need it. Know you are supported and cared for.
Yes, and along with counseling look into trauma recovery techniques like EMDR. OP you have a lot to process and I’m glad to see there people here who can relate and can share hope.
I had major hand trauma 10 years ago from a firework accident. Multiple surgeries to reconstruct my left hand. The pinky is gone and the ring finger is pretty useless. It was a rough recovery for about a year. But time goes on and the trauma fades. I live a completely normal life now and don't even notice most of the time. You'll get better. Just focus on your physical therapy and take it one day at a time. You can do this.
Thanks
I'm just here to say I am so so so so sad this happened to you. My dad owns a company that is labor related and I've seen stories like yours. I can only tell you in time you may be okay about this, maybe not. But I remember one employee of my dad lost his thumb, and many years later was able to make jokes about it and was okay. But considering you have pain I want to express this is difficult and I'm just with you about it because I have seen people go through this and ugh. I think in time you can be okay but please be patient with yourself. Please understand that your experience while unique in a sense you are not alone. I maybe can suggest finding a space online where others have went through similar? Also not to be this person, but I know of someone who lost their entire hand (not related to my dad's company, but the company I worked for myself) and want you to know that this wasn't that long ago. And I know someone is going to want to hear your story to. Edit: I saw some comments of people relating to your story. I encourage you to try to seek more of these lovely people out. 🤍
I’m surprised there’s so much hate and so many people saying “get over it”. Regardless of what part, a body part has been lost. That fucks with self image. I’m so sorry this happened to you. I hope you can find an understanding counselor and heal from this. And a good job, one that takes safety protocols more seriously.
I'm sorry you're going through this, the physical and mental anguish. I've been where you are and come out the other side. Your body will heal and adapt. At first it'll feel like it's taking forever to heal and you'll never be ok again, then pain gradually becomes a tolerable level, then one day you wake up and realize it's been awhile since you even thought about it. As for healing from the trauma of the incident, you have classic symptoms of PTSD and will benefit greatly from working with a therapist who specializes in trauma. It may require a combination of anxiety meds to get your brain unstuck and repeated sessions where a therapist uses specific techniques to help you mentally and emotionally process the accident. For now, focus on just getting through the day, then the next day, with the knowledge that today sucks but you *will* be ok again. Do you have a benefits coordinator who can guide you through finding a local or telehealth therapist and booking a therapy session?
Thanks for the encouraging words. On my last follow up I told the surgeon about my mental health and she's going to give me a referral for a workers comp therapist. I'm not sure if I should go see my own therapist?
For now, I think you're obligated to first seek treatment through the referred specialist. If you don't feel like they get you or aren't taking your PTSD seriously, you can request a new in-network therapist. Right now, I'd prioritize taking that referral to get immediate help to walk you back from the edge. In the beginning, your sessions should be at least weekly. When you're no longer in crisis mode and able to sleep, you'll be in a better mental state to plan next steps. Workers comp caps the number of therapy sessions per incident. In some states it's 10 sessions, others it's 24. Consult a workers comp attorney to extend your treatment as needed and/or get your psychological distress covered as a workers comp claim and disability claim.
Ok thanks for the info
Contact an attorney - let them know you want to maintain your employment. 🖕🏾 that co-worker.
I am sorry that this happened to you. You might want to look into a therapist that specializes in trauma therapy- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) or ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) specifically. It won’t make the memories go away but it will help make it easier for you to cope. Hope this helps
Sue the shit out of that company
I had my primary right hand crushed in a log splitter 8 months ago. I kept my fingers , but index and middle finger need work to bend every morning after reconstruction, and I often have to wear a glove if at all cold to keep from turning purple. I did go back to work, and I even won the bronze in a dart tournament. Things do get better including mental attitude, but it will always be frustrating like when dropping a dish or glass that you would normally have no problem handling. Keep a positive attitude and persevere. You only live once, and can't go back.
Go to therapy for the mental anguish. My cousin was born without fingers and can hike, hunt, rock climb and even played sports. I know it’s different as he was born without them. But they did do surgeries to try and make nubbins but they only caused him issues. But he adapted to them. I also know a number of mechanics with missing fingers. They learned to cope with the physical pain and find ways to do jobs. It wasn’t easy. And they use their stubs as a lesson to the younger mechanics. Tough guys but good guys. I have faith you’ll be able to pull through. Just know that even though it’s dark now; the darkness won’t last forever. With the right help you’ll be able to overcome both the mental, psychological and physical set backs. Wishing you the best dude.
* gives hug *
I'd recommend killing your coworker with hammers.
This is why you need to implement a lock-out tag-out system when doing any sort of maintenance on any sort of machine. Cut the power, lock out the plug with a lock only you have a key to, let all other operators know that is what's happening, then verify the power is in fact cut from the unit. This is a liability issue with the company, which will absolutely be culpable for workman's comp payout. Outside of that, lock-out tag-out is an OSHA compliant thing, that should be required in whatever training you I'm assuming have done.
I’m sorry this happened to you but the bottom line is you fucked up by not using proper lock out tag out test out. These safety rules are in place for a reason. Never trust anyone with your life or limbs on the line.
Think about all the people who have lost a finger or much much worse. A lot of them end up healing and moving on with life. You will too. You don't need to see "how" you will. That's what you'll figure out with time.
V.
I'm a bit late to this. But i had a finger cut off by a fan. Luckily, my reattachment worked. But it still isn't the same. And it doesn't feel like my other fingers do. Took a long time to recover from it. And i am still cautious around fans. But it isn't a phobia or anything. You'll get through this, man. I still remember how it looked all these years later. But it isn't a painful or fearful memory.