If injured at work, employees should be eligible to file workman’s compensation claims to reflect their injuries and lost wages.
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance which provides for wage replacement and medical benefits if an employee is injured while working at their job. If an employee accepts a workmans’ compensation payout, it is considered to be in exchange for relinquishing his or her right to sue the employer for negligence. In the state of Florida, there were 1190 cases filed in 2018, with an average medical reimbursement of just over $16,000 and an average benefits settlement of $23,000. (Source Florida Department of Financial Services)
Frequent Workman’s Compensation Claims
People have all different types of odd jobs, and each career offers its own benefits and risks. No matter how much training a company provides, no matter how many safeguards are put into place, all dangers cannot be alleviated completely. And while some accidents are so strange that you are likely only to see them once, there are many accidents which workman’s compensation reps see over and over. These include:
Slip and Fall Incidents: Slips, trips, and falls are among the most common workplace accidents, due to wet floors or debris in the workplace. Other commonplace injuries in this category include employees falling outside of the workplace, on sidewalks or in the parking lots. Regardless of the underlying cause of the accident, if they occur during work or on the employer’s property, serious injuries can happen – and are open to workman’s compensation claims.
Strain and Exertion Injuries: Employees who routinely lift or move heavy objects may be susceptible to overexertion, pulled muscles or strains, and sprains. These are common among warehouse workers, delivery drivers, ad those who stock shelves – among many other categories of employee. These injuries may not be life-threatening, but they can be very painful, debilitating, and can take a long time to heal fully.
Hit by a Falling Object: Again in warehouses and inventory jobs, the chance of being struck by a falling object is high. This type of injury is also seen in construction and development environments where people are working on scaffolding and ceilings.
Auto Accidents: Accidents involving vehicles on the road are most common among semi-truck drivers, but can also include delivery personnel, salespeople, and anyone else who operates a vehicle in the daily performance of their job.
Machinery Mishaps: Those employees who work on machinery are always at risk of injury, no matter how many safeguards are put into place. Moving parts, hot engines, and fuel spills are all possibilities around industrial equipment, and hundreds of workman’s compensation claims are filed yearly in this category.
Repetitive Action Injuries: When an employee works on an assembly line where repetitive motion is common, they may develop carpal tunnel, tendonitis, or another similar injury. In this type of injury, it will be the responsibility of the employee to prove that the job was a significant cause of the condition. As an actual identifiable event did not cause the damage, and the injury developed over a long period, the cause is harder to prove.
If you feel that you have sustained an injury which your employer is responsible for, you should call a Sarasota workman’s compensation attorney as soon as possible. We can advise you as to if you are eligible for benefits, or if a lawsuit is the better course of action. When you have been injured, you deserve compensation for your medical bills and lost wages – let the attorneys at Probinsky & Cole help!
