Category Archives: Workplace Injuries

Firefighter injured battling fire in a house in Kansas

In Kansas, work-related injuries have become quite common. For people whose jobs are risky, such as firefighters, construction workers or workmen engaged in mining industries, incidents of workplace injury are often reported.

Sometimes, a workplace injury leads to major accidents. Injuries and accidents mean huge expenses, loss of a valuable resource and, often, huge medical bills. Who is responsible for workers’ injuries? Who is going to pay all these expenses? These are the questions that the injured victim and the family of the injured person often ask.

In a recent incident in Kansas, a firefighter injured himself after falling down the stairs while battling an early morning house fire. At around 2:15 a.m., the fire was reported and the crew of firefighters rushed to the home. However, there was nobody inside the house. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. It caused $60,000 worth of damage.

Organizations should try to provide a safe working environment for the employees. An injury to an employee results in huge loss of resources. Loss of resources is a huge loss of money. Sometimes, employers neglect the safety of the workers in this risky business. According to a U.S. report, every day, 12 people go to work and never return. The family and friends suffer a huge emotional loss as well as financial loss.

If people find themselves in a similar situation, they can claim compensation if the injury occurred in the workplace Workers compensation provides wage benefits and medical benefits to people who have been injured in the workplace. This compensation can help employees as they get back on their feet following a workplace accident.

Source: The Kansas City Star, “Firefighter injured battling Kansas City, Kan., house fire,” Mar. 7, 2014

Report shows decrease in workplace injuries, increase in severity

According to a recent report, the rate in which non-fatal work injuries and illnesses occur across the U.S. has declined. The severity of these injuries, however, has increased.

In 2011, 117 cases per 10,000 full-time workers had to stay home from work as a result of a workplace injury or illness. This number decreased in 2012, as only 112 cases per 10,000 spent days away from work. Though this shows a decrease in the amount of serious workplace injuries — serious, in this case, defined as an injury that requires days away from work — other numbers show an increase in the severity of these injuries.

In the report, severity is measured by the average days a worker is required to spend away from work. The severity of injuries appears to be trending upwards, as a median of eight days was reported in 2011, while that number increased to nine in 2012.

Severe workplace injuries can have devastating effects for an employee. They may require days — if not weeks, months or years — away for work, which oftentimes results in lost wages. Lost wages can have an enormous impact on the injured worker’s pocketbook, making it difficult to cover necessary expenses and the medical costs associated with workplace injuries.

Thankfully, employees injured as the result of a workplace accident have a chance to receive help covering medical costs and lost wages. Workers’ compensation allows workers in such situations to apply for compensation. This compensation provides workers with an exclusive remedy — but first, these employees must file a claim and follow guidelines which determine eligibility.

Source: Tire Business, “U.S. workplace injury rate declines but severity up,” Nov. 27, 2013

Workers’ compensation on the rise for U.S. postal workers

When Kansas residents think of injuries occurring in the workplace, they may often think of construction workers, bricklayers and miners as being some of the most dangerous occupations. However, recent reports indicate that United States’ postal workers have a demanding job as well, resulting in an increased number of injuries and increased workers’ compensation insurance.

The Government Accountability Office has reported that in 2012, there were over 32,000 injuries reported by employees of the postal service. In addition, the cost of workers’ compensation increased nearly 70% between 2009 and 2012. Workers compensation insurance for 2012 amounted to $3.7 billion.

While the postal worker’s job may seem relatively safe, many injuries are reported due the extremely physical and repetitive nature of the job. Also, while the nature of the work may be repetitive, there are many different ways a postal worker may injured. Injuries occurring from dog bites, falls and collisions with vehicles were all reported. For postal workers, the Federal Employees’ Compensation Act provides funding for medical benefits to workers who suffer both permanent and temporary disabilities.

There may be Kansas workers who are not employed by the federal government, but who become injured on the job. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits are mandated by every state and can provide for medical expenses, training for new positions, as well as compensation for any permanent injuries that are suffered. One does not have to be in a dangerous job to collect workers compensation benefits.

Any Kansas resident who has been injured on the job may benefit from the expertise and guidance of experienced workers’ compensation legal professionals. They will ensure that the injured worker receives all the compensation to which they are entitled.

Source: Insurance Journal, “Neither Rain Nor Sleet But Dog Bites: Post Office Workers’ Injury Claims,” Sept. 27, 2013

Worker suffers multiple injuries on the job

Kansas residents work hard. Whether one works in a factory, on a construction site or behind a desk, on-the-job injuries happen all the time. Accidents can occur due to negligence of the employer or they can occur for no reason at all. Regardless of the circumstances, Kansas workers will have a claim for workers’ compensation to assist with injuries sustained while working on the job.

An oil company worker for Hydrostatic Oil Field Testing Inc. has suffered multiple injuries after being trapped on a derrick. The worker was trapped when parts of the structure began to fall apart. It took rescue workers two hours to free the employee. Rescue workers had to strap a harness to the man and lower him from the broken platform to the ground.

The worker is approximately 35 years of age and suffered both leg injuries and arm injuries from the accident. He was flown by helicopter to Texarkana hospital to be treated for his injuries.

When a worker suffers an on-the-job injury, they are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are mandated by every state. Workers’ compensation insurance is designed to cover injuries that are sustained do to the negligence or carelessness of the employer, as well as the employee. Workers’ compensation does not cover the pain and suffering of the victim, but will cover medical expenses and permanent disabilities that the injured worker has suffered. However, by filing a workers’ compensation claim, one can be precluded from filing a personal injury lawsuit against their employer.

There are benefits to filing a workers’ compensation claim, as well as a personal injury lawsuit. Experienced workers compensation legal professional can assess the specific details of one’s unique case and determine what the proper course of action would be to ensure the victims receives everything to which they are entitled.

Source: Arkansas Online, “Worker injured after oil derrick breaks in Miller County“, Sept. 23, 2013

Man and woman injured in work-related fireworks accident

Unfortunately, a recent Independence Day celebration in Jefferson County left two workers with burn injuries after fireworks in an uncovered tote accidentally ignited. The workers’ injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, but anyone who has experienced one knows that burn injuries can be some of the most painful.

The accident happened at the annual public fireworks display in Valley Falls. One of the workers, a Valley Falls resident, reportedly had severe arm burns. He was transported to a Topeka hospital for treatment. An Ozawkie woman was the other injured employee, and in addition to burn injuries, she was hit with a fragment of PVC pipe that embedded in her arm.

Investigators believe fireworks in an uncovered container detonated. That fire spread to a large store of fireworks in two separate containers. The exact cause of the accident was still under investigation at the time of a local report, and the injured workers may want to explore their compensation options under Kansas law.

Both individuals were initially taken to a local hospital, but the woman had to be transported from there to Kansas University Hospital. At first the wound on her arm was thought to be a broken bone but was later confirmed to be broken pipe.

Handling fireworks is one of those types of work that carry certain risks, but employees still have the right to a reasonably safe work environment. Workers’ compensation is available to injured employees across the spectrum, and anyone who has been injured in a work-related accident should be aware of the legal options for covering medical bills, lost wages and other damages arising out of the course of employment.

Source: Lawrence Journal-World, “Two workers injured in Valley Falls fireworks accident,” Ian Cummings, July 5, 2013