This could, however, be changing. While it has long been possible to bring criminal prosecution for willful failure to protect employees and for gross negligence that causes serious injuries or fatalities, prosecutions have been few and far between. These prosecutions are about to become more common. Safety News Alert has announced the federal government’s intention to step up prosecutions and bring more criminal charges when OSHA violations occur, particularly if there was a willful violation and a fatality occurred.
Criminal penalties can punish those who fail their workers, but employees injured on the job and surviving family members of workers killed at work will still need to make workers’ comp claims to get money and benefits to cover work injuries. An Atlanta work accident lawyer can provide legal assistance to those who need help getting money after an accident in their workplace.