Workplace Accidents

U.S. workers have a fundamental right to a safe workplace that does not unnecessarily put them in harm’s way. More than three million U.S. workers suffer nonfatal injuries each year as a result of unsafe work environments – a rate of approximately three injuries per 100, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. While workplace injury rates are a vast improvement over unsafe work environments in the industrial and post-industrial age, job sites today can be extremely dangerous. A deeper dive into these numbers reveals that the service industry accounts for 80 percent of workplace injuries, and more than half of all reported workplace injuries are considered serious enough to result in missed work days and job transfers.

Common workplace accidents include slip-and-falls, muscle strains and repetitive motion injuries. Employees working around heavy machinery can suffer life-changing injuries including hearing loss and respiratory damage, as well as concussions, burns, electrocutions and amputations. During extreme heat events, employers have a legal obligation to ensure that workers are adequately protected from heat exposure by providing frequent breaks and opportunities for hydration. In the construction industry, hundreds of construction workers are killed and thousands more suffer serious injury every year in preventable workplace accidents. These injuries are caused by unsafe working conditions and environments that result in falls, burns, broken bones and other trauma.

When workplace injuries occur, employers have been known to pressure injured workers not to report the accident and even sign documents waiving the employer of liability. When a workplace accident is not reported, it allows employers to deny medical treatment and benefits that are lawfully due to the injured worker. Workers injured on the job sometimes obtain limited workers compensation benefits, even though they may be entitled to more compensation for injuries by working with a lawyer familiar with workers comp limits. When businesses fail to take responsibility for unsafe work environments that cause injuries, a workplace lawyer can help secure benefits to replace lost income and medical expenses.

The attorneys at Farrar & Ball have the skills and experience to mount a comprehensive investigation that determines how and why a workplace injury occurred. Our team operates on a no-fee contingency basis and approaches every case with the expectation that they will take a case all the way to a jury trial and verdict. Contact Farrar & Ball to learn more.