Colorado oil field deaths related to toxic vapor exposure

Mar 18 2016

America’s oil boom has created high-paying jobs for workers willing to put in long hours and a lot of hard work. Unfortunately, however, oil field jobs also come with serious dangers – both known and unknown. Too many oil workers have suffered serious injuries or lost their lives because oil companies put profits ahead of safety. Over the past five years, nine oil workers – including three in Colorado – have died while “tank gauging,” or manually opening storage tanks to gauge the level of crude oil inside. When these tanks are opened from above, they often emit high levels…

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Daylight saving time & the increased risk of workplace accidents

Mar 15 2016

If you felt unusually tired at work on Monday, it was probably due to the beginning of daylight saving time. While this tradition is certainly beneficial for those who want to enjoy more sunlight in the afternoon and evening hours, the one-hour time shift comes at a surprisingly high cost. As it turns out, “springing forward” by an hour is far more disruptive to us than we may realize. Studies have shown that in the days following the beginning of daylight saving time, workplace productivity declines and the rate of workplace injuries goes up. Human beings are creatures of habit…

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Colorado woman’s battle for denied work comp benefits drags on

Mar 05 2016

We often write about the need to hire a workers’ compensation attorney when you have been injured at work and are seeking benefits. Companies try to find any reason to deny benefits, which means that injured workers are often forced to fight for benefits that they should be entitled to. One case recently in the news is a good example. It concerns a woman who lives here in Colorado but traveled out of state for work as a United Airlines flight attendant. In 2011, the woman drove to the Denver airport, where she had free parking and free plane travel….

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Denied Workers’ Compensation Claims

Mar 01 2016

When your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier denies your claim or suddenly stops paying for the medical treatment or medications you need, our attorneys can help. At Alverson + O’Brien, we have extensive experience dealing with these difficult cases. Unfortunately, it is up to you, the injured worker, to prove that your injury meets the criteria for workers’ compensation benefits. We can help you. Most people with legitimate workplace injuries experience denied workers’ compensation claims because they are not aware of the rules and procedures that are necessary to obtain benefits. Based on many years of experience on all sides…

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Fatal falls are still very common in the construction industry

Feb 26 2016

Our post earlier this week focused on a basic but crucial idea in workplace safety: Employers need to take responsibility for making sure that a work environment is as safe as it can be. This means safety training must be thorough, safety equipment must be administered and employee compliance must be monitored. If any of these factors is missing, the result may be an injurious or fatal accident. As an example, consider deadly falls. These accidents are almost entirely preventable if safety gear is in place and being used. Yet in 2014, 40 percent of deaths in the construction industry…

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Dangerous work requires extensive safety training, OSHA warns

Feb 24 2016

Although antiquated, the term “lumberjack” still conjures a powerful image in the minds of most Americans. The difficult and exhausting work lumberjacks undertook helped settle the West and build our nation’s infrastructure. Unfortunately, this line of work was among the deadliest jobs in America, and that remains true today. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the forestry industry recorded 77 deaths in 2014 – a number far higher than most other occupations. The tools and practices may have changed, but moving around items of such size and weight is still incredibly dangerous. In August 2015, a 20-year-old logger in…

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Denver’s ‘Vision Zero’ plan may also be boon for certain workers

Feb 18 2016

The general trend in automobile travel has been one of improving safety. As technology gets better, car accidents are less likely to result in deaths and serious injuries. Unfortunately, however, Colorado broke from that trend last year. In 2015, approximately 545 people died in traffic accidents on Colorado roads. That number was nearly 12 percent higher than the previous year, and the first time since 2008 that the state had more than 500 deaths in a year. In Denver alone, 57 people were killed in car accidents last year. This is not just an issue of public safety. For many…

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Injured while working a job for your construction temp agency? You likely qualify for workers’ compensation.

Feb 16 2016

We often hear about Denver construction workers who are injured on the job and never file for workers’ compensation. Usually, it’s because they don’t believe they qualify. Our response? Assume the opposite. Even if you were working a job through a temp agency like Trillium Staffing or Tradesman International, you qualify for workers’ compensation. If you go to your temp agency’s website, you may find language about limiting workers’ compensation exposure. This language is intended to sell your services to the business or government entity that needs construction workers for a job. It does not limit your right to workers’…

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Crane collapse a grim reminder of the dangers of construction work

Feb 12 2016

Although safety standards have improved significantly over the past half-century, construction and demolition continue to be among the most dangerous jobs in the United States. Those who spend their careers on construction sites go to work each day knowing that one wrong move could result in serious injury or even death. Construction workers here in Colorado and across the country were given a grim reminder of that danger last week. News outlets reported that a construction crane collapsed in New York City, killing one person and injuring at least three others. According to news sources, the collapse occurred near the…

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The benefits of hiring an attorney for your workers’ comp claim

Feb 10 2016

In an ideal world, the workers’ compensation system would be efficient and hassle-free. Indeed, workers’ compensation was created with the goal of reducing legal work and costs on both sides. Employees would have their claims processed and approved quickly, and employers would avoid costly lawsuits. Unfortunately, we don’t live in an ideal world – especially when it comes to workers’ compensation. The system is often bureaucratic and slow, and when claims are disputed, the process tends to favor employers and insurance companies. As the injured worker, you are the underdog in the struggle over workers’ compensation. For this and other…

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