Personal Injury Lawyer

When you are working on a job, you do not expect to get injured. However, even people who have a desk job run the risk of being injured at work. While every state has different laws pertaining to workers compensation, most companies offer benefits including medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation services. Workers compensation can get expensive so companies devote a lot of time to taking safety precautions such as continuous training for employees and investing money in safe facilities. Here are some of the top workers’ compensation claims filed by employees.

1. Struck by an object

While this may seem very simple, it is actually very common. An object can fall off a shelf or a coworker could accidentally drop a heavy object they are carrying. This type of injury could happen to anyone from construction workers to office workers to retail employees.

2. Highway accident

Injuries from highway accidents are most common for truck drivers and other delivery services where a vehicle is your “workplace”. However, highway accidents can also happen when on a business trip or traveling to an offsite work event.

3. Machinery accident

When working with heavy machinery, serious injury could occur if safety precautions aren’t followed. These types of accidents generally happen to construction workers, factory workers, or warehouse workers — anyone who operates heavy machinery.

4. Overexertion

The most common workplace injury that files for workers compensation is overexertion. Overexertion is caused by overextending or using a joint or muscle beyond its normal function. These injuries are most common in construction or factory workers. Police officers are also prone to overexertion injuries.

5. Repetitive Motion

While harder to prove, repetitive motion injuries are very common in a wide variety of jobs. Injuries caused by repetitive motion include carpal tunnel or tendonitis. This can be a result of things like typing, using a mouse, sitting for long periods of time, straining your eyes to look at a computer screen, lifting boxes, or do any motion over and over again.

6. Workplace Violence

Unfortunately, workplace violence has increased in the past decade. Twenty years ago, it was uncommon for there to be an active shooter in the workplace, but now companies have to prepare their employees for the worst. It’s not uncommon to find how to survive an active shooter video shown at orientation. Workplace violence can also include robberies, assaults, and altercations between coworkers.

There are a wide variety of workplace injuries that can occur. No one expects to be injured at work, but it can and does happen. It’s important to be prepared for any situation. This includes taking all safety precautions when operating machinery, taking breaks at work from being at your desk or staring at a computer, or using caution when moving heavy items.

Studies have shown the most dangerous jobs (those who have the most workers compensation claims) are construction workers, police officers, nurses aides or orderlies, janitors, truck drivers, and warehouse employees. However, injuries at the workplace can happen to anyone. Be sure to know your company’s workers compensation benefits and be sure to file a claim with a workers comp lawyer Long Island relies on if you ever experience an injury at the workplace.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. for their insight into workers compensation.