As with every other state in the U.S., Kansas requires employers to purchase workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. For the many who work in high-risk environments, this statute is of great importance because of the hazards and injuries these workers are exposed to daily.

One high-risk profession is that of a tree service worker. Tree service workers are expected to work at dangerous heights; they need extensive training, and have to use safety equipment to minimize the already high-risk of injury; and what’s more, they are constantly exposed to electrical hazards — power lines and electrical conductors come into play in their day-to-day work lives.

Recently, two tree service workers were injured on the job. While working on a home, one of the workers accidentally made contact with a power line. This caused the worker to receive an electrical shock, which jolted him from the ladder he was standing on. He fell, and his colleague tried to catch him. The man’s colleague suffered leg injuries as a result; the first man suffered fall injuries, and burns from the electrical shock.

Sadly, these kinds of injuries are all too common in high-risk work environments. But thankfully, workers’ compensation exists to help ease the burden of such incidents. Workers’ compensation covers a number of expenses, including replacement income and medical care. Any permanent injuries will be compensated, as well as benefits to survivors who have lost loved ones on the job. To make sure one receives the compensation for which they are entitled, there are legal professionals available to analyze one’s case and ensure that every right is covered.

Source: News Times, “2 tree service workers injured in NJ accident,” Nov. 3, 2013

A recent accident in Wichita took the life of a landscape worker. The 47-year-old was reportedly hit by a car as he worked alongside the road. A police officer indicated that the vehicle, driven by a 20-year-old, was not fully on the road when the collision happened. The car also hit a fire hydrant that flooded the street with water.

A woman who arrived at the scene happened to be a medical assistant, and she and another woman tried to help the man by performing CPR. Unfortunately, by the time emergency responders arrived, the victim had already passed away. The accident was still under investigation at the time of a July 29 report in The Wichita Eagle.

The police officer who commented on the accident warned pedestrians and drivers alike about roadside dangers, but it would certainly appear, if the driver’s car hopped the curb, that the worker was simply doing his job when he was struck.

In a case in which a work-related accident leads to the death of a worker, workers’ compensation benefits may be available to the family of the deceased. However, if a worker was injured or killed by the negligence of a third party, a personal injury or wrongful death claim may be a better course of legal action. In the event that faulty work equipment caused a worker’s injuries, a product liability lawsuit may be necessary for the injured party to receive compensation for damages.

In our Leawood and Topeka law practice, we help individuals and families understand their legal rights under our state’s workers’ compensation and personal injury laws. To learn more, please visit our workers’ compensation site.

Source: The Wichita Eagle, “Landscape worker killed when car leaves road, hits him in southwest Wichita,” Raymond Howze, July 29, 2013