It doesn't matter how safe a work environment is, accidents are always possible. While not all injuries are serious, they can still affect a person's productivity and health. On the other hand, such accidents can cause a company financial losses.
In other words, it's in everyone's best interest to promote a healthy and safe environment where they can perform their duties without worrying.
One step to take toward this goal is educating people about the most common injuries for a workplace accident. Not only is this important to learn how to avoid them, but it may also give people an idea of what to expect if they want to file a workers' compensation claim or something similar.
The experts at the Law Office of Carl Maltese are willing to help victims of workplace accidents seek justice if necessary. Our team can also discuss common injuries for a dog bite. Below is a thorough explanation of how these injuries affect workers.
Understanding the Most Common Workplace Injuries
Unfortunately, workplace accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries. Whether there are office or assembly line workers involved, these events can seriously affect their lives.
Here is all the information to know about workplace injuries:
Slips and Falls
Slip and fall injuries are the most common ones when it comes to workplace accidents. This is because they can happen anywhere.
Some slips and falls can lead to serious injuries to the head, back, and neck. Other accidents may affect the bones, cause cuts and sprains, and lead to a lot of pain.
The most common reasons for these injuries include:
Spills
Wet/oily surfaces
Weather hazards
Poor lighting
Wrinkled carpeting
Uneven walking surfaces
Uncovered cables
It's important for every company to have a solid workplace safety program in place. Some of the best measures to take include investing in high-quality walking surfaces, having great housekeeping, and encouraging employees to report if they ever see any dangerous areas.
Vehicle-related Injuries
Motor vehicle accidents can cause serious (and even fatal) injuries to office workers.
Many jobs require employees to operate motor vehicles, whether it's for transporting goods or making deliveries. Others require people to work on certain sites handling dangerous cargo.
Regardless of the case, these injuries can happen because of poor maintenance of the vehicles or a lack of safety training for the employees.
The accident can happen because the person fell from their vehicle, got struck by objects falling from it, or got crushed by it. One of the best ways to prevent these accidents is to determine who the people with the highest risk of getting injured are. This allows the employer to design a better workplace that promotes more safety.
Getting Hit by Moving Machinery
These accidents can happen if a worker gets hit by a vehicle while working. While some injuries can be as minor as bruises, others may involve broken bones or even paralysis. In severe cases, the accident can lead to the person's death.
Moving machinery accidents can also happen if a projectile strikes a worker after an explosion.
Sometimes, these accidents can affect many workers at once, not to mention that they can hurt people near the workplace.
Getting Hit by Stationary Objects
As opposed to the previous accident type, this one involves hitting a non-moving object, such as a protruding beam or even a tree limb. These injuries are caused by poor lighting, lack of marking for stationary hazards, and the failure to provide safety equipment to the workers.
Usually, such an accident can lead to severe head injuries.
Entanglement Injuries
Entanglement happens when a person's body comes into contact with moving mechanical parts, such as pulleys, gears, or high-speed belts.
The main types of entanglement include the pinch/nip, pull-in, shear/cut, and wrap.
Unfortunately, entanglement accidents can lead to fatal consequences. Even in the best-case scenario, the person may get serious injuries that affect their life for a long time.
The best way to prevent these injuries is to guard or shield moving parts. Workers should also avoid using loose clothing.
Fires/Explosion Injuries
Explosions or fires may happen due to several problems, such as open flames, improperly stored materials, or faulty gas lines.
Not only do these accidents cause severe burns, but they can lead to respiratory problems for the victim.
Electrocution Injuries
Electrocution can also cause severe burns, although they happen due to other reasons. They include a lack of ground-fault protection, improper use of extension cords, and exposed power lines.
People who work around water have a much higher risk of getting electrocuted.
Overexertion Injuries
Also called "repetitive stress injuries" or "repetitive motion injuries" these issues happen when a person repeats the same motions for a very long time. If they don't get enough rest from their duties, they can easily experience painful injuries.
The injuries suffered may recover after a while, but if they're not treated correctly, they may leave long-lasting effects.
Some of the most common forms of overexertion injuries include:
Rotator cuff syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Overexertion injuries are associated with office jobs, as many workers are forced to type frequently. This leads to carpal tunnel syndrome most of the time.
However, industrial jobs can also lead to overexertion, as some workers have to perform the same motions over and over.
Falls from Heights
Although these seem to be similar to slips and falls, they're slightly more dangerous. As the name implies, these injuries are caused by falling from considerable heights, such as scaffolding, scissor lifts, or roofs.
Most of these falls happen due to slippery surfaces, poor lighting, adverse weather, or visual obstructions. They may also happen because of a lack of safety equipment, such as railings or fencing.
Who Is At Fault for a Workplace Accident?
It depends on the case. Usually, the fault lies with the person's employer. This is because they have a legal duty to protect their employees while they're working.
Some signs that an employer didn't meet their duty of care include:
Not providing personal protective equipment
Not providing a safe working environment
Not providing proper training
Employers must conduct frequent risk assessments, as well as ensure that all their equipment and machinery is safe to use. On top of that, they should provide enough supervision to employees to ensure they're not facing any risks.
To put it simply, if an employer can't (or won't) take enough measures to protect their workers' health, they can be held liable for these accidents. For more information, the best personal injury lawyers on Long Island may be able to help.
Proving fault in a workplace accident isn't always easy, though. Some people may deny fault and even shift it to the victim. Many victims feel scared to take legal action because they're afraid they'll lose their jobs.
However, that doesn't mean that victims should have to deal with the consequences of another person's negligent actions. If someone gets injured, they should seek help to address the damages. A legal professional can gather as much evidence as possible to fight for their client's rights.
Once an attorney takes the case, they can evaluate the accident's timeline and determine whether it was truly the employer's fault or if there is any other party to blame.
Can Victims Recover Damages from Their Workplace Injury?
Yes, it's possible for victims to get compensated after a workplace accident. No matter which type of injury the person experienced, they deserve to get help to cover their treatment, especially if it prevents them from going back to work.
The compensation for such cases covers a variety of losses, such as:
Medical bills
Rehabilitation and therapy costs
Lost wages
Loss of future earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Wrongful death
Does this mean that victims will get compensated because of all the factors mentioned above? Not necessarily. The people involved in the case will evaluate it thoroughly to determine what the victim deserves. In most cases, the attorney's skill will play a huge role in this process, which is why it's important for the victim to hire someone who knows everything about the state's law.
Other factors that may affect the outcome of the case include the severity of the injuries and whether the employer was completely at fault. In some cases, the victim may also be responsible for what happened, but that doesn't mean they won't get compensated.
New York law states that the court will assign a percentage of fault to everyone involved in the accident. This is known as "pure comparative fault." The amount of damages will be reduced by the victim's percentage of fault.
How to Build a Solid Case After a Workplace Accident
One of the keys to building a great case is to be fast. Some people wait too long to file their claim, and that makes it much more difficult to do it.
After getting into an accident, the victim should get somewhere safe and address their injuries with a medical professional. Once they're okay, they must document their injuries and the accident scene, as that may work as evidence later.
Talking to the at-fault party and potential witnesses is also a great idea that the victim may benefit from.
Finally, the victim may contact their attorney to get help while building their case. They can also advise on common injuries for nursing home abuse.
Bottom Line
Workplace accidents are scary, but that doesn't mean they're impossible to prevent. To summarize, such accidents can affect a person's:
Head
Back
Neck
Bones
Face
Mental health
It's important to get immediate help to address these injuries. The faster the victim acts, the better chance they'll have of recovering.
At the Law Office of Carl Maltese, victims can seek a free consultation to learn more about which steps they should take to fight for their rights.