Common Workplace Injuries in Alabama
Employers in Alabama have a responsibility to provide a safe work environment for their employees. Workplaces are required to furnish industry-specific safety equipment that will ensure that employees are protected from harm. Despite these requirements, workplace injuries remain a common occurrence in Alabama.
According to the latest figures from the Department of Labor, there are more than 800 injury and accident claims each week in Alabama. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 100 people lost their lives in workplace accidents in 2016, a 42.8% increase from the prior year.
If you have been involved in a work-related accident, you may be facing, physical, emotional, and financial consequences. Your employer’s worker’s compensation coverage (if they qualify) is supposed to cover your medical care and other benefits for a valid claim, but these sometimes turn into difficult battles.
What is the Definition of a Workplace Injury in Alabama?
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) defines a workplace injury as an occurrence during the course of work that results in a physical or mental injury. According to the agency, the following are considered workplace injuries:
- Any work-related illness or injury that results a need for medical care beyond basic first aid;
- Any work-related illness or injury that results in a person losing consciousness, missing time from work, needing restricted work, or transferring to another position;
- Any work-related diagnosis of a chronic irreversible disease, punctured eardrums, fractured bones (including teeth), or cancer; or
- Any work-related fatality.
Common Workplace Injuries in Alabama
There are many ways that a person could be injured on the job. Your place of work, your industry, and your employer’s dedication to safety could impact the most common types of injuries in your workplace. Overall, however, there are several common workplace injuries throughout the U.S. and Alabama.
- Overexertion injuries. These are the most common injuries and result from excessive lifting, pulling, carrying, throwing, pushing, or holding.
- Slip, trip & fall. Back, head, and wrist injuries can result from tripping on wet floors or over unseen objects.
- Falling from a height. Severe injuries can result when a worker falls from ladders, roofs, or other heights.
- Struck by object. Falling objects such as tools and equipment can lead to serious head injuries and even death.
- Bodily reactions. A worker might pull a muscle by reacting quickly without falling.
- Motor vehicle accidents. Vehicle accidents are leading cause of work-related fatalities in Alabama.
- Caught in between. A worker could be caught by machinery or injured in a trench cave-in.
- Repetitive motion. A common repetitive motion injury is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
- Dangerous exposure. Job sites that use or store dangerous chemicals put their workers at risk for exposure injuries and illnesses.
- Violent Acts. Injuries resulting from unprovoked attacks in the workplace might also be covered under worker’s compensation.
Worker’s Compensation Claims for Benefits
If you’ve been injured while at work or while performing your job duties, you may be entitled to worker’s compensation benefits. These benefits will cover medical expenses, some wage replacement, permanent impairment, and other costs associated with your injury. You have an obligation to report your injury to your employer as soon as possible, preferably within five days.
In some cases, an employer may attempt to shift blame or deny your claim, leaving you without the care and income you need after an injury. If your claim for benefits is denied, you should not give up. An experienced worker’s compensation attorney may be able to help you get the benefits you need to recover and pay your bills.
Speak with a Qualified Alabama Worker’s Compensation Attorney
If you have been injured in a workplace accident, you have certain rights. Unfortunately, some employers and their insurance companies make it difficult if not impossible to collect the compensation that you’re entitled to under the law.
At Chip Nix, Attorney at Law, our Alabama worker’s compensation attorney helps injured workers in Montgomery and throughout the state exercise their legal rights. We will thoroughly review the circumstances of your case and explain your options. We take our role seriously and want to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Contact our office now at 334-279-7770 or reach us online to schedule a free consultation.
