When you apply for a job, you’re only looking to earn money. However, part of the job may require you to face dangerous tasks or situations. That’s why laws and regulations are currently available to protect your rights as a worker.
Workers’ Compensation Law details everything you need to know about these rights. Here, you will find out which accidents this law covers and how you can file a compensation claim. The former will be discussed in this article.
Types of Injury in the Workplace
Various types of injuries may happen in the workplace, and some of them are covered by the Workers’ Compensation Law. It all depends on the nature of the accident. That being said, below are some of the most common injuries where you might be able to file a claim.
Falls/Traumatic Injury
Mining, construction, and manufacturing industries are workplace examples where a fall is quite common. This can cause severe damage to your body, and you might have to pay quite a lot for rehabilitation. For severe trauma, especially to the back, hiring a lawyer for spinal cord injury is essential to ensure that you get full compensation.
Repetitive Motion Injury
Some injuries develop over time because of repetitive motion. For example, if a company doesn’t provide proper ergonomics for jobs that involve constant typing, a person might develop carpal tunnel syndrome. It might involve serious investigation, but workers can file for compensation if they believe that their poor working environment caused this condition.
Chronic Exposure
Some jobs involve dealing with harmful substances, and constant exposure to these may cause serious health risks. Miners who aren’t provided sufficient breathing equipment or industrial workers who deal with pain and other toxic chemicals are often the most susceptible to this type of health impairment.
Psychological/Emotional Trauma
Not every injury a person might incur from the workplace is physical in nature. Extreme jobs that deal with too much stress may also cause psychological or emotional trauma. For example, if managers or supervisors verbally or sexually abuse their subordinates, this may be grounds for filing a compensation claim, which will then be used for therapy.
Common Causes of Workplace Injuries
While workers are responsible for fulfilling their jobs, employers are also obligated to provide a safe working environment. Many companies fail at this, and they may face specific legal actions, especially if the case is quite strong. Below are some of the areas that may cause a workplace injury.
Defective Equipment
One of the most common reasons for injury in the workplace is defective equipment. Employers must conduct regular inspections of their tools and devices to ensure that they are functioning. If ladders, scaffolds, and various power tools were used properly by an employee but still resulted in an injury, the company should cover all the medical expenses of the injured worker.
Reckless Co-Worker Conduct
There are various grounds for misconduct in the workplace, and employers must ensure none of these happen. Fights, discrimination, and harassment are some of the most common causes of reckless co-worker misconduct. A company must provide appropriate guidelines to their employees to ensure that they are informed about the proper behavior in the workplace. In addition to this, offenders must be given the appropriate sanction. Otherwise, the company might also be involved in a lawsuit.
Insufficient Training
Employees encounter accidents in the workplace because they weren’t given proper training about using certain tools. This can significantly reduce the workplace’s safety levels, not just for the person but for their co-workers as well. If a worker is undertrained or is asked to perform a task beyond his/her capabilities, the company would have to take responsibility for any injury that this might cause.
Insufficient Safety Guidelines
Aside from the lack of training, another area where companies often fail is the provision of safety guidelines. Informing employees about the proper conduct and management of tools is part of guaranteeing their safety and protection. If a company fails to do this, they can be sued under the Workers’ Compensation Law.
Repetitive Motion
As we’ve mentioned above, certain types of jobs require workers to perform a repetitive motion. The company should provide proper ergonomics, safety equipment, and adequate rest to their employees to ensure that they don’t get injured. Physical impairment that keeps employees from performing their jobs can cause serious legal actions.
Gone are the days when workers are treated like machines. With the help of lawmakers, various regulations are in place to ensure that employees are provided with the rights they deserve. Safety is important in the workplace, and both the worker and the employer must work together to pursue this.
