Accidents happen in the workplace even after safety training

Nov 07 2017

Can you remember the last time you attended safety training at work? It may have been an early morning for you, and the droning voices or late 80s training videos started to lull you to sleep. One elbow is resting on the table, your head resting on your hand, and that’s all it takes to let your attention wander as you struggle not to fall asleep. Safety training may not be the most exciting part of a job, but they are essential to keeping you safe. Your employer should be offering regular instructions to all employees to help avoid workplace…

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Unique MRI can predict chronic pain after a whiplash injury

Nov 06 2017

Remember that “not-so-bad” accident you had at work the other week? It might return to haunt you weeks or even months from now with severe chronic pain if the accident involved any form of whiplash. These types of injuries can have lasting effects—even putting someone in so much pain that they will be affected by it every day for the rest of their life. On average, about 25 percent of people have chronic pain for months or even years after whiplash occurs. But a study from Northwestern Medicine shows that scientists may have found an identifier for who will suffer…

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Is location relevant when protecting and serving causes injuries?

Oct 31 2017

Law enforcement is not a typical “nine to five” job. Officers see their commitment as something limited by hours, time of day or even location. The daily grind inherent in the vocation does require time off to rest, recuperate and recharge. For some, attending an out-of-state concert on October 1 was meant to relieve stress, not create more. Approximately 200 off-duty police officers from California found themselves at a Las Vegas music festival when, in a split second, they went from spectators to protectors when shots rang out from a nearby hotel. While the tragedy represented the largest mass shooting…

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Traveling employees: “Injured on the job” can happen anywhere

Oct 27 2017

“Injured on the job” does not mean, “injured at your workplace.” Rather, it refers to any injury suffered while working. This is a very important distinction for a traveling employee whose workplace might be a moving car, truck or airplane (or the various destinations to which those vehicles travel). This bears repeating: If you working when you are injured — no matter where you are — you can file a workers’ compensation claim. Often, traveling employees have more than one legal claim after an injury. It can sometimes be easy to forget that, in addition to a personal injury or…

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The true cost of new safety regulations

Oct 24 2017

According to a recent Mayor’s Management Report, worker injuries in New York City this year are on the increase from 526 to 622. In response to the 18 percent jump in serious and fatal accidents, the city’s chief executive Bill de Blasio signed a recently passed bill. The new bill passed unanimously in the New York State Assembly and signed by the mayor mandates at least 40 hours of safety training for 185,000 construction workers. Many see the rise in accidents running concurrent with growth in the city’s construction activity. However, de Blasio believes the increase in injures is the…

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Did a major transit authority put their bus drivers at risk?

Oct 17 2017

A great deal can happen over the course 48 hours. In that amount of time, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority kept a fleet of hybrid buses manufactured by NABI after being notified by a maintenance superintendent that buses’ engines ran the risk of stalling, putting drivers and passengers at risk. In late July, mechanics began installing new master switches to replace the old ones. One problem. According to union mechanics, a wire in the switch cuts power on the bus if a wire becomes loose or breaks. On September 25, a NABI bus crashed after stalling and losing power. The…

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Injured workers caught in the crossfire of state vs. federal law

Oct 04 2017

Of all prominent personalities quoted before any court, Jerry Garcia is rarely referenced. Yet, in his opening remarks, Norman Trask, an attorney appearing before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, cited the Grateful Dead leader’s own words that also served as the title of the band’s second compilation album. “What a long strange trip it’s been.” For Gaetan Bourgoin, it has been a long and painful trip. Bourgoin injured his back in 1989 at the paper mill in Maine where he worked. He initially tried prescription painkillers. While providing relief, use of the drug led to addiction and thoughts of suicide….

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The growing problem of workplace violence against nurses

Sep 26 2017

It is a job where a “typical workday” may include yelling, spitting, or serious assaults. In fact, many feel that the risk of violence these professionals face on an ongoing basis makes it one of America’s most dangerous jobs. Nursing. A 2016 Government Accountability Office report found that the likelihood of workplace violence in health care settings is five to 12 times higher than any other job. A recent Occupational Safety and Health Administration survey of nurses reveals 75 percent question had suffered physical and verbal abuse by not only their patients, but also their family members and visitors. Specific…

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Afraid your work comp claim will hurt your employer? Fear not.

Sep 20 2017

You’re a good person. You like your employer. Your injury isn’t that bad. So why should you file a workers’ compensation claim against your employer? Many of the people that come into our law office are worried about how their workers’ compensation claim will affect their employers. We understand that, but we also want you to know: An insurance company, not your employer, will pay your claim. In other words, if you were injured at work, you can and should file for workers’ compensation. The history of the Colorado workers’ compensation system A hundred years ago, if workers were injured…

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“I was harassed after filing a work comp claim. What can I do?”

Sep 19 2017

“Maria” injured her back in a slip-and-fall at work. She filed a workers’ compensation claim and was successful. She returned to work under modified duty/light duty. While back at work, her immediate boss continually assigned her to the least desirable tasks at work, did not step in when fellow employees repeatedly mocked her and implied that her injury wasn’t real, and refused her applications for a promotion. Maria endured the treatment. She had already rocked the boat by filing a workers’ compensation claim. If I speak up now, she thought, I will lose my job. She dreaded going into work…

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