workplace accidents

Workers’ Comp Benefits in Georgia

September 9, 2022 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

Over the last several years, wages have increased some, and medical bills have increased even more. However, workers’ compensation benefits are on the opposite track. Since 2013, wage replacement benefits are down 17%, and medical bill payment benefits are down 20%. Since workers’ compensation is no-fault insurance, insurance company lawyers cannot deny liability. But, they can and do challenge the amount of benefits.

A Marietta personal injury lawyer works hard to ensure job injury victims get the victims they need and deserve. These benefits are available to both trauma injury victims, like falls, and occupational disease victims, like hearing loss. Both kinds of injuries are often difficult to diagnose and treat. Job injury victims in Georgia usually have the right to choose their own physicians. So, these victims get the treatment they need, as opposed to the treatment a company doctor is willing to provide.

Lost Wage Replacement

The Fatal Four Construction Accidents in Georgia

August 5, 2022 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is responsible for over 130 million American workers at over eight million job sites. Yet OSHA has less than 2,000 inspectors to monitor all these workers. That translated to about one inspector for every 70,000 workers. So, if you believe government inspectors can keep your workplace safe, you may want to think again. OSHA estimates that the Fatal Four injuries, which are listed below, cause most workplace fatalities.

When government bureaucrats fail to protect people, a Marietta personal injury lawyer usually stands in the gap. Our team not only makes workplaces safer by forcing companies to put people before profits. We also obtain the financial compensation these survivors need and deserve. They need it to pay medical bills and other final expenses. They deserve it because, in most cases, the workplace accident was not the decedent’s fault.

Falls

How to Prevent Workplace Machinery Accidents

October 22, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

The construction industry carries a significant risk of serious accidents in the workplace. Many of these workplace accidents that occur result from the use of heavy machinery. The following article will discuss some of the most common causes of workplace machinery accidents and will also provide some practical ways to prevent these types of accidents in the workplace.

What are some of the most common causes of workplace machinery accidents?

According to OSHA, the following are the most common causes of workplace accidents involving machinery:

What You Should Know About Georgia Workers’ Compensation

August 13, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

If you were recently injured on the job, you may have started the process of filing for workers compensation benefits. The following article will provide some helpful information you should know about workers’ compensation in Georgia.

Important Information Regarding Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation

You have 30 days to report the accident to your employer. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 34-9-80, an employee must report an injury-causing work accident to his employer within 30 days after the date the accident occurred.

Tips for Avoiding Construction Accidents in the Workplace

May 31, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 1,061 work-related deaths in the construction industry in 2019. This is the highest number of deaths among construction workers since 2007. The following article will discuss some causes of construction accidents as well as some practical steps for employers to avoid these accidents at the workplace.

What are Some Common Causes of Construction Accidents?

There are many factors which can contribute to construction accidents in the workplace, but some major factors include:

Power Tool Accidents are Common at Work

April 16, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

Power tools are a common presence in American homes and workplaces. Millions of people have power tools at home, ranging from the most basic, such as drills or power screwdrivers, all the way up to fully equipped home woodshops or metal shops. Cordless or corded, power tools are everywhere, and this is particularly true in many American workplaces. Many occupations, including most manufacturing jobs, construction, and trades, including electrical work and plumbing, rely heavily upon power tools. They make completing many jobs safer, faster, and more efficient. Think about trying to build a house without even so much as a power saw. Putting so much power in such a small package – many power tools are hand-held – is, unfortunately, often a dangerous proposition, even for professional users. Not surprisingly, then, workplace accidents involving power tools are fairly common events.

Injuries From Power Tool Accidents Can be Serious

Many people use power tools at home, completely unrelated to on-the-job use of power tools. Such at-home use, rightly or wrongly, can give employees a false sense of knowledge and security regarding use of power tools on the job. The problem, of course, is that the types and power of tools used on the job far exceed what most home power tool users have experienced. When employees believe they know “enough” about operating power tools, particularly hand-held power tools, they may be able to avoid training or pay little attention during training.

The Construction Industry is Extremely Hazardous

February 26, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

Nobody goes into the construction industry thinking it is going to be a walk in the park. Everybody who ever worked construction knew before their first day on the job that construction work is dirty, difficult, and above all, dangerous. Injuries are commonplace, and fatal injuries on the construction site happen far more often than in any other kind of workplace. Construction work sites are loaded with hazards most employees in other occupations will never see, and many of those hazards are potentially fatal.

No Industry Compares to Construction for Deaths, Injuries

In 2019, federal statistics indicate that on-the-job deaths of construction workers accounted for 20% of all workplace fatalities, a trend that has held for decades even though the construction industry accounts for only 4% of total employment in the United States. In addition to fatalities, more than 70,000 construction injuries are reported each year, with probably that many more going unreported. The injury rate for construction workers was 9.7 per 100,000 employees in 2019, nearly triple the rate of 3.5 per 100,000 employees for all other private sector employment. The non-fatal injury rate for construction workers is 71% higher than any other industry.

Overwork Often Leads to Workplace Injuries

February 19, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a world of contradictions in the workplace. People in some occupations have found themselves working exclusively from home for nearly the last year. Others have found themselves unemployed, while still others have found themselves working at a frenzied pace. There is increased pressure on the supply chain as well as the means of delivery, meaning that employees at production facilities for food and other essential supplies, distribution warehouses, and retail outlets often have had to increase their work pace and hours to keep up with demand despite many fellow employees being out sick with COVID-19. Further, first responders, emergency workers, and many health care workers also have faced long hours at work as they strive to provide many of the services people rely upon, pandemic or not. These efforts have often been complicated by many coworkers being sidelined by COVID-19, leaving remaining employees to pick up the slack with longer shifts.

Risks of Fatigue for Employee Safety are Well-Documented

For quite some time, federal health officials have known that employee fatigue is a significant threat to workplace safety. When employees have to work long shifts, extra shifts, overtime, and evening or overnight shifts, they become fatigued. Often the extra work hours are at times that disrupt normal sleep patterns, which in addition to extra work hours just contributes to employee fatigue. Even employees working 40 hours are at heightened risk of fatigue when working longer shifts, evening or overnight shifts, rotating shifts, or irregular shifts. These irregular hours can result in physical and mental stress for employees, as does working extra hours. This all can contribute to workplace fatigue, making employees less alert and impairing decision-making, concentration, and memory.

Workplace Accidents Can Result in Devastating Amputations

January 22, 2021 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

People who work around heavy machinery in certain industries – like printing presses, conveyors, food presses, milling machines, food slicers, meat grinders, and other similar hazardous machines – are at high risk of workplace amputations. Those machines do not present the only workplace risk of amputations, either. Construction work is among the most dangerous jobs in the country, and it, too, carries the risk of on-the-job amputations. Federal government reports have referred to workplace amputations as “widespread.” They can occur not just during machinery operation, but also during set-up, cleaning, lubricating, adjusting, clearing jams, and maintenance.

While not all amputations are created equal – losing a joint on your pinkie finger is an amputation, just as is losing an arm or a leg – all amputations are traumatic injuries. Many amputations are life-altering. The federal government reports about two dozen fatal amputations and thousands of non-fatal workplace amputations every year. Federal statistics cite defective machinery and worker negligence as some of the main causes of workplace amputation injuries. Further, poorly or improperly maintained machinery, or even improperly manufactured machinery, can result in serious injuries to employees, including amputations. Inadequate training or supervision also increase the likelihood of severe accidental injuries. All of these elements – poor maintenance, insufficient training, and improper manufacturing of equipment, can factor into the amount an employee suffering an on-the-job amputation will receive in damages for a workers’ compensation claim.

Workers’ Comp Damages for Workplace Amputations Vary

Injuries Can Happen in Any Workplace

December 25, 2020 | Benjamin S. Persons, IV

While some jobs appear to be extremely hazardous and others appear to be pretty safe, workplace injuries happen all the time, regardless of how dangerous the work “appears” to be. Loggers and professional fishermen work in the most dangerous jobs, but farmers, delivery drivers, garbage collectors, and septic tank workers also hold jobs that rank in the top 20 most dangerous. While those jobs are ranked by frequency of fatalities – virtually all jobs hold the potential for workplace injuries. The vast majority of workplace injuries are not fatal, and while many arise from the inherently dangerous nature of the particular job, others are far more subtle but no less debilitating.

Common Work Injuries Might Not be What You Expect

Workplace injuries happen in many different ways. Some are sudden and violent, as you might expect. Others, though, are caused by factors you might not see coming. Among the leading causes of on-the-job injuries are: