Some of the most common workplace accidents are:
- Accidents involving falls on the same level – Tripping over debris or stumbling and falling are examples of this type of accident. Any worker can trip, from a retail worker to someone on a construction site. Unfortunately, violations of fall protection standards are one of the top causes of citations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This shows employers are not doing enough to prevent falls.
- Accidents involving falls to a lower level – Employees can fall from high to low heights when working on scaffolding or when atop a ladder – especially at construction sites. These falls can be deadly or cause broken bones, traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord damage.
- Slip or trip incidents with no fall – Overexertion and adverse bodily reactions are one of the top reasons why workers get hurt. Around 7.6 percent of injuries in recent years have involved a worker who experienced an adverse bodily reaction. A worker who stumbles but does not fall is at high risk of this type of injury. If you or a loved one has experienced such an adverse bodily reaction while on the job, it may be wise to consult a slip and fall accident lawyer to understand your legal options.
- A worker being struck by objects or equipment – Employees could be hit by falling objects, like paint cans tumbling off scaffolding or by equipment such as a crane that swings too wide. Brain injury, spinal cord damage, crushing injuries and amputations are likely to occur when workers are struck by objects.
- Highway accidents or roadway incidents – When a highway accident happens on the job, the worker can sue the other driver responsible for the collision with the help of a Truck accident lawyer as well as seek workers’ compensation benefits.
- Being struck against objects or equipment – Being struck by objects or equipment is one of the “fatal four” that lead to the majority of construction accident deaths. Examples given in OSHA training include being hit by a brick falling from a bucket, by a truck while doing roadside work or by a wall that was being lifted into place. These accidents can cause amputations, broken bones, and even death. In tragic cases where fatalities occur, families often consult a wrongful death lawyer to understand their legal rights and seek justice for their loved ones. If someone has been a victim of a truck accident while working on a construction site, consulting a Truck accident lawyer can be a crucial step in securing necessary compensation and guidance.
- Becoming caught in or compressed by objects or equipment – These types of serious accidents often can be prevented with proper machine guarding and by following manufacturers’ instructions when operating machines or equipment. An estimated 2.8 percent of workplace injuries each year can be attributed to this type of accident.
Many of the above accidents have a strong correlation to OSHA’s list of the safety standards employers violate most frequently. For example, fall protection regulations are the number one most frequently violated OSHA standard, and fall accidents are among the most common work injury causes. Other top violations include failures related to electrical wiring and electrical system design and mistakes made with regard to machinery and machine guarding.
Seeking Workers’ Compensation Benefits After Your Workplace Accident
Whether an employer has or has not violated OSHA rules generally will not matter in determining an employee’s right to make a workers’ compensation claim. If your accident happened due to your work duties, you should be able to obtain benefits even if your employer was as careful as possible.
An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer at the Mann Law Firm can help victims of workplace accidents to seek the disability income, medical coverage and other compensation they need. Call or contact us online today to discuss your case.
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