Articles Posted in Workers Comp

The workers in the United States most likely to experience back and arm injuries are nurses and nursing assistants. National Public Radio reports that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced a crackdown on hospitals “to prevent an epidemic of back and arm injuries among nursing employees. This is the first time ever OSHA will be emphasizing this common cause of nursing injuries.

Back and arm injuries can be difficult to treat effectively and complete cure may not be possible. These injuries are a common cause of workers’ compensation claims and a common reason for missed work time in the healthcare sector. An Atlanta neck and back injury lawyer should be consulted for help when nurses are hurt on-the-job.

Back and Arm Injuries Put Nurses and Nursing Aids at Risk of Atlanta Work Injuries

The federal government imposes certain safety regulations that employers are expected to follow in order to ensure that employees are protected from unacceptable risks at work. One such regulation requires that employers conduct coal dust tests to ensure workers aren’t being exposed to toxic air that makes them sick. Unfortunately, eight officials were caught faking these tests and will now face criminal charges.

Criminal prosecutions for safety violations are rare, although they do occur when employers egregiously flout the law. Workers are also entitled to pursue a benefits claim in any circumstances where they are hurt at work, regardless of whether employers acted intentionally to put them at risk or not.

An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can provide help to injured employees and their family members in pursuing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.

Georgia law requires employers to provide workers’ compensation benefits so employees hurt at work will have medical costs paid and will receive disability income if their ability to work is curtailed by illness or injury. Under O.C..A. section 34-9-80, an injured employee or his or her representative must provide notice of an accident at work. This notice should be provided immediately after an accident occurs or as soon as practical after the incident. The statute requiring notice indicates that the information about the injury may be provided to an employer, agent, representative, supervisor or foreman. Compensation for a work injury is available only if adequate notice is provided.

Unfortunately, sometimes questions can arise regarding whether an employee promptly and properly alerted an employer to a workplace injury. This can jeopardize a workers right to receive benefits and make the workers’ compensation claims process much more complicated. To avoid problems, it is best to consult with an Atlanta work injury lawyer after an incident at work that causes sickness or injury. An attorney can help you to notify your employer and pursue a workers’ compensation claim.

What is “Noticefor a Georgia Workplace Injury?

Emergency medical responders save lives, but sometimes their own lives are at risk. Recent research from Drexel University took a close look at the dangers faced by first responders on-the-job. Safety BLR reported on the risks and provided details on which emergency workers faced the greatest chances of being hurt in the workplace. Now, Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also making clear there are concerns about safety for EMTs, as OSHA is considering a new standard for emergency responders.

Every employee in all fields deserves a safe workplace. If you get hurt while performing work tasks, regardless of what OSHA standards are or whether they were violated, you should take action. An Atlanta workplace injury lawyer can provide you with help in pursuing a case to receive benefits after your on-the-job injury.

Atlanta Work Accident Risks & Proposed New Safety Standards for EMTs

Chemical exposure can cause serious and even fatal workplace injuries. Workers can be made very sick as a result of their exposure to chemicals on the job. An Atlanta work injury lawyer can provide assistance to those workers who fall ill due to chemicals they encounter while on the job. Chemicals can also cause more than just illness; explosions are a very real possibility.

A tragedy occurred in 2013 illustrating the devastation that can occur when a chemical plant has problems. The tragedy occurred when a fertilizer plant in West Texas exploded and 15 people were killed, including 12 first responders and 3 members of the public. Another 260 people were hurt, 150 buildings were destroyed and $230 million in damages was done by the explosion.

In response to this incident, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended its Risk Management Program (RMP) regulations to try to prevent future incidents like the fatal explosion from happening again in the future. The EPA’s amendment of is rule was a response to an executive order promulgated by President Obama to improve safety and security at chemical storage facilities.

Workplace exposure to toxins and chemicals is extremely dangerous for workers. Exposure to hazardous items on-the-job could result in a worker getting very sick, sometimes with terminal illnesses. A worker who gets sick should pursue a workers’ compensation claim, but these claims can sometimes be a challenge since the illness may not develop for years or even decades after the initial exposure to the toxin has occurred. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can provide help in showing the link between job tasks and illnesses so workers can get benefits.

Of course, it is far better to prevent the exposure which causes illness in the first place. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has standards in place to limit exposure to hazardous items. Unfortunately, the list of hazardous items OSHA limits exposure to is too short and, in many cases, the standards are outdated. OSHA is taking steps to try to better regulate exposure to toxic substances. One recent new regulation aimed at protecting employees from exposure to silica could make a substantial difference in preventing illness.

New OSHA Standard Can Help Prevent Atlanta Workplace Illnesses

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has raised its fines for certain violations of workplace safety laws. The higher penalties went into effect in August of 2016, so employers are now subject to much more substantial fines if they violate worker safety laws. These higher fines mean that the threat of OSHA action could be more of a deterrent in the future, prompting employees to be more careful about following safety rules.

Companies should follow OSHA guidelines to try to make worksites as safe as possible for employees. Unfortunately, work injuries can happen under any circumstances, no matter how safe a worksite is. The safety of a work environment (or lack of safety) also isn’t a factor when it comes to an employee’s right to receive benefits after getting hurt on-the-job.

If you were harmed at work, you are entitled to workers’ comp coverage. An Atlanta work injury lawyer can help you to fight for the compensation you deserve.

In July of 2014, President Barack Obama signed the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order. One of the goals of this executive order is to improve workplace safety for workers throughout the United States.

There are myriad federal workplace safety laws in existence already, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). Unfortunately, many of these laws have a limited impact on actually improving conditions for workers. When a worker is hurt on-the-job, he or she needs to understand his legal rights and the protections available to him. An Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer can provide assistance to injured workers or to families of people who are killed while doing work tasks.

The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order

If a work injury is sustained, the victim of the injury is generally prohibited from filing a lawsuit against an employer. Instead, the injured worker makes a workers compensation claim and the claim is processed by a workers’ compensation insurer. The injured worker can get medical bills paid, and can also receive certain additional benefits including appropriate compensation for any work-related permanent injuries.

Unfortunately, there is a new report suggesting that the compensation received by workers is not the same for men and women, even when they suffer the same type of injuries.

According to the New Yorker, a group of women have filed a class action and are making allegations that workers’ comp benefits are discriminatory towards women and that men receive larger amounts of compensation. If this is true, this significantly impacts women workers who depend upon workers’ compensation coverage for their financial security after a workplace injury. Every injured employe of either gender deserves fair compensation for injuries, and an Atlanta workers’ compensation lawyer should be consulted for help in getting the benefits due.

Kendrick Johnson was a 17 year old high school student when he died earlier this year. On the night of January 10, Johnson’s parents reported him missing when he didn’t come home. The next day, Johnson was found stuck upside down in an upright rolled up gym mat propped up behind the bleachers at Lowndes High School, where he was a student. Our Atlanta wrongful death attorneys have followed the story and last week federal prosecutors have decided to review the facts and evidence from Johnson’s death and may open a criminal civil rights investigation, according to news reports.

U.S. Attorney Michael Moore is leading the federal investigation and will review the original investigation by the sheriff’s office and two autopsies done on Johnson, as well as photos, videos and other evidence and information. The autopsy done by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation concluded that Johnson’s death was accidental, that he was trying to get a fallen shoe and fell, getting trapped and suffocating. However, Johnson’s parents, Kenneth and Jacquelyn Johnson, had his body exhumed and another autopsy performed, which concluded he died from blunt force trauma to the right side of his neck. His parents believe their son might have been murdered and have been trying to get his case reopened. They are alleging that local officials covered up evidence of a crime. And they allege that key evidence is now missing, such as the cloths Johnson was wearing when he died. The follow up autopsy showed that his fingernails had been cut and some organs removed, as well, which could provide more evidence. A video was recently released which shows Johnson on his last day from video cameras at the school. The videos don’t show his death, but his family hopes they may shed some light on what happened.

The federal case led by Moore is a civil rights investigation, and Moore could only go forward if he finds evidence that a law enforcement official was involved in wrongdoing in Johnson’s case. A former federal prosecutor noted to reporters that it is very rare for federal officials to step in and look at an already closed local investigation and said, “There must have been something that didn’t pass the smell test.