There are over 127,000 temporary workers in the state of New Jersey. And if you’re one of them, you may be surprised to learn you absolutely are entitled to workman’s comp if you get injured on an assignment. There’s a reason not many people know. For one thing, some publications erroneously report temp workers aren’t entitled to workman’s comp. What they might mean is the third-party employer who owns the job site isn’t responsible for it. And temp employees don’t often get it, in part because employers are all-too-willing to lie about it. Knowing your rights is the first step to protecting yourself. You probably need workman’s comp even more than full-time employees do. Workplace conditions can be more dangerous for temporary workers than for full-time employees. There are three reasons for this. First, light industrial jobs dominate the industry, which means we’re already talking about warehouse and assembly jobs
Read MoreIf you suffer a workplace accident the consequences are immediate. After a workplace accident, you need medical attention and time off work – in the event of a serious accident, you need emergency care and weeks (or longer) to recover. These ramifications of an injury or illness are costly and there is every reason to worry about the financial consequences of a workplace accident. In New Jersey, the state government has recognized the swift and cutting impact of a workplace accident and designed the process for a workers compensation claim to follow suit. An employee is entitled to temporary disability benefits when unable to work for seven days. The first workers compensation check should arrive within two weeks of reporting your workplace accident. What if this isn’t the case for your workers compensation claim? Some employees wait much longer for their workers compensation claim to begin reimbursement of medical costs
Read MoreNJ workplace injuries can result from carelessness, poor training, or repetitive activities. The nearly endless causes of employee accidents and injuries are often dependent on the type of work environment and duties of an employee. However, there is one cause of NJ workplace injuries that span offices, factories, construction sites, and hospitals, and that is fatigue. In a hospital, where doctor and nurses are working ten, twelve, and fifteen-hour shifts, it is easy to recognize how fatigue plays a roll in NJ workplace injuries. But accidents arising from fatigue and sleepiness are also common in workplaces where the shifts are shorter and physical demands lower. Here are five ways fatigue is impacting a variety of workplaces in NJ. #1: Fatigue Isn’t Always Tied to Sleep We generally connect fatigue with a lack of sleep or rest, but studies have shown that this isn’t always the case when it comes to
Read MoreIt can take anywhere from a couple months to half a year for workplace accidents and injuries statistics to work their way into the public sphere. In this case, workers’ compensation practitioners and businesses are just seeing the final numbers for 2017 and estimates for 2018 here in December. What do these new numbers tell us about workplace accidents in recent years? Data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the number of fatal workplace accidents dropped from 2016 to 2017 and the approximate numbers for 2018 show another slight decrease this past year. Specifically, in 2017, the fatal injury rate was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in the United States. This number is down from 3.6 fatalities reported in 2016. The data on fatal workplace accidents also tells us a lot more about injuries, illnesses, and infamously dangerous industries in the United States
Read MoreIf you look for a list of workspaces and professions with the most workplace injuries, you are unlikely to see jobs like account manager or sales representative make the list. These jobs are frequently done at an office and behind a desk. A seemingly safe workspace compared to construction sites and factory floors. Yet, there are several common injuries that still afflict traditional offices in NJ. Similar to other workplaces in NJ, a substantial number of common injuries in the office can be easily avoided through training and proper procedure. A separate handful of office injuries are more difficult to tackle because these common injuries are inherent to the work and design of an office. What are the most common injuries in NJ offices and how can you avoid them? Read this post to find out. #1: Ergonomic Injuries From Sitting and Typing While the work in your office might
Read MoreThere are some jobs in New Jersey and the United States as a whole that appear inherently more dangerous than others. For example, the use of heavy machinery and heavy lifting in construction makes it an obvious workplace for employees injured by equipment, electric shocks, improper use of tools, and manual lifting or pushing. Similarly, the dangers of working in a restaurant or other hospitality setting are readily apparent. There are slick floors, spilled beverages, and a lot of time standing. The longer a waitress or waiter is on a shift, the greater increase there is in employees injured by slips and falls. Finally, we can look to firefighters and police officers as brave individuals taking on a job with evident dangers. These first responders are thrown into chaotic and dangerous situations as part of their job description. These Surprising Jobs Have a High Number of Injured Employees On the
Read MoreSlip and fall accidents are some of the most common workers’ compensation claims in New Jersey. The frequency of slip and fall accidents is due to the wide variety of hazards that can lead to a slip and fall and the number of work environments where these accidents are likely to occur. From offices to warehouses, construction sites to hospitals, and even in restaurants and retail, there are hazards that can cause an employee to slip, trip, or fall. Despite the regularity of a slip and fall accidents, few New Jersey workers are certain how to react or what to do after they take a tumble. At the Law Offices of Albert J. Talone, we handle several slip and fall workers’ compensation cases each year and can offer a solid set of first steps to any employee that is facing injury or time away from work after a slip, trip,
Read MoreThe seasons are shifting in New Jersey, and for now, the state is buzzing with autumn activities and pumpkin spice. But anyone familiar with the New Jersey fall knows that there are colder temperatures not far behind and so are the hazards of certain workplace injuries. What is now sweater weather and scary movies will soon turn to frosty mornings and cold temperatures. In most parts of your life, it is wholly acceptable to ignore the approaching winter and cold weather, but not when it comes to preparation and planning for workplace injuries. There are entirely new hazards and concerns for the winter months, and the time to address these workplace risks is right now. Whether you are an employee or employer this is the best time to start preparing for cold weather workplace injuries in New Jersey. Here are five of the common cold weather injuries and accidents you
Read MoreEmployees in New Jersey suffer workplace injuries due to falls, trips, car accidents, and failure to wear protective eyewear. In fact, when you start to categorize the reasons and causes of workplace injury in New Jersey, there seem to be endless risks and hazards. However, some of the state’s most serious workplace injuries involve the use of machinery or equipment. When one of these grave accidents occurs, both employees and employers will ask a number of questions. We have the answers. In this post, we cover some of the questions most frequently asked of a New Jersey workers’ compensation lawyer after a machinery accident. However, it is impossible to cover all the information you want or need here. If you have a complicated question or one particular to your workers’ compensation case, contact our New Jersey office now. Question #1: How Common Are Accidents Involving Machinery or Equipment? There are
Read MoreSlip and fall accidents are among the most common workplace accidents in NJ and across the U.S. Each year thousands of employees miss thousands of days at work because they have a broken arm, sprained neck, or another injury from falling at work. Another important statistic about slip and fall accidents is that they occur in a variety of NJ workplaces and work environments. Offices, industrial warehouses, construction sites, and hospitals are all common locations for an employee to slip and fall. Other accidents occur in restaurants, hair salons, and schools. Yet, slip and fall accidents are preventable. Very few employees are falling without reason and most slip and fall accidents occur because of a hazard in the workplace. Putting in place alternatives and safety features can reduce the hazards leading to slip and fall accidents. In particular, employers can work to address these five common hazards at work. #1:
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