Posts Tagged ‘NJ lawyer’
Fatal Workplace Accidents and Injuries Decrease
It 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 in the most recent years.
What Does the Drop in Workplace Fatalities Indicate?
The total number of workplace fatalities in 2017 is 5,147. This number represents all fatalities from all causes and across every industry in the United States for last year. The total fatalities account for slip and fall, electrocution, work-related car accidents, and even heart attacks occurring in the workplace. There were only 43 fewer fatal accidents in 2017 than in 2016.
While it is encouraging to see a slight drop in the number of workplace fatalities, this information doesn’t indicate much to a worker’s compensation or …
Read More5 Common Hazards That Lead to Slip and Fall Accidents in the NJ Workplace
Slip 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: Cables and Cords Across the Floors
Employees often don’t notice where their computer or printer is plugged in, until the cord to that power source becomes a hazard in the hallway or other areas of the workplace. In fact, cables and cords that go unnoticed or unsecured on the floor are one of the most common reasons for slip and fall accidents in the office.
However, it isn’t just law firms and business professionals that need to worry about this hazard. Extension cords, power cords, ropes, and other cables are common in warehouses, industrial facilities, and other workplaces …
Read MoreWhat Role Does Employee Fatigue Play in New Jersey Workplace Injuries?
New Jersey workplace injuries occur for a variety of reasons. Sometimes an employee isn’t properly trained on equipment and in other instances the machinery or equipment malfunctions. There are accidents and the accidental spreading of illness. Chemicals, electrical issues, and improperly placed or stored inventory can all lead to New Jersey workplace injuries. However, even among the plethora of reasons for employee injuries, fatigue causes an unusually high number of these accidents.
Why Is America So Tired?
More than ever people in the United States are working two or more jobs to make ends meet and pay their bills. Over the past 15 years, there’s been a steady rise in the number of Americans reporting a second part-time job or even an additional full-time position. As of late 2017, an estimated 7.6 million Americans were working two or more jobs, which was an increase of .2% over the previous reporting year.
This increase in U.S. employees with multiple jobs is having a cooling impact on the U.S. economy, but there’s more. Many of these workers are finding their extra hours in positions with a high risk of workplace injuries, and it is suspected that working two jobs is only making these numbers climb higher.
Of the individuals working multiple jobs in New Jersey, a substantial percentage are exhausted and burnout – leading to a higher overall number of New Jersey workplace injuries due to fatigue.
How Frequent Are New Jersey Workplace Injuries from Fatigue?
All reports tell us that …
Read MoreReceiving Medical Bills, But Entitled to NJ Workers Compensation? What Should You Pay?
Filing and receiving NJ workers compensation benefits is a process. You have to inform your employer of the injury, seek medical attention, and then you file a claim. This claim process could be incredibly straightforward and smooth, with the support of your employer. On the other hand, receiving the NJ workers compensation you deserve might be a frustrating legal battle.
Under the second scenario, it is very common for the medical attention you received to become medical bills that are due and payable. Your doctor, the hospital, or emergency services likely provide somewhere between 30 and 90 days for you to pay your bills. This timeframe isn’t always sufficient to cover the expenses with workers compensation benefits if there is a dispute or disagreement over the claim.
What should you do about seeking medical treatment and paying medical bills as you await approval of NJ workers compensation benefits?
Should You Seek Medical Assistance Immediately?
Many employees wonder if they should seek medical assistance immediately after an NJ workplace injury, or wait until they have confirmation of their NJ workers compensation claim. In all instances, you should obtain the medical treatment you need. This includes accepting emergency services, such as an ambulance or on-site treatment, and seeking out physical therapy or rehabilitation treatment, when recommended by a doctor.
Your choice of medical treatment could be important for approval of your NJ workers compensation claim, but this should never impede on your need for immediate care. If you are seriously injured in …
Read MoreThe Biggest Mistakes Employees Make After a New Jersey Work Injury
The workers’ compensation cases and settlements that result from a New Jersey work injury typically take place in administrative proceedings before the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, not courtrooms. Despite the different venue, NJ workers’ compensation cases must follow certain processes to be successful. Often, these processes cause problems for New Jersey employees that are unaware of the rules.
In this post, we’ll cover some of the biggest mistakes employees make after a New Jersey work injury, and provide information on what you can do differently.
#1: Failing to Report the Injury in a Timely Manner
Many workers wait weeks or months to tell an employer about a New Jersey work injury. This delay can cause complications for a resulting workers’ compensation claim.
To follow best practices and advice from a workers’ compensation lawyer, a New Jersey employee should report a workplace accident and resulting injuries immediately after the incident occurs. However, this isn’t always practical or possible. A manager may not be available, the injury could require immediate medical attention, or onset of the injury is delayed. In such circumstances, an employee should report a New Jersey work injury as soon as possible.
#2: Not Reporting the Extent or Severity of Injuries
After an injury, many NJ employees are worried they will lose their job, be demoted at work, or even lose the respect of co-workers and managers. In an effort to protect their employment and pride, employees conceal the extent or severity of their injuries. When …
Read MoreDoes a Pre-Existing Condition Affect Workers’ Compensation in New Jersey?
You slip and fall at work in New Jersey Whether it was a power cord at the office or spilled liquid on the restaurant’s floor, you are likely entitled to workers’ compensation for medical costs resulting from this fall. For instance, if you injured your neck or badly sprained a wrist trying to break the fall.
These injuries could even keep you from work for multiple days, weeks, or more. Then, you would be entitled to disability benefits under workers’ compensation in New Jersey. However, these injuries were not entirely new. You hurt your neck in a softball game four years earlier or broke your wrist rollerblading last summer and it stayed tender and fragile.
Do these old injuries change anything? If you had a pre-existing condition, of any kind, does it affect your right to workers’ compensation under New Jersey law?
Broad Right to Workers’ Compensation in New Jersey
New Jersey workers’ compensation is available to all employees who suffer a job-related injury. This includes employees who acted negligently. It even applies to incidents that involve the recklessness or negligence of a third party. This policy is not only protective of employees who accept risk of injury as part of their job duties, but keeps employers accountable for training, safety standards, and oversight.
The law in New Jersey even covers exacerbation or acceleration of a pre-existing condition. Employers and insurance companies are prohibited from denying workers’ compensation benefits due to a pre-existing condition. Further, how the original injury …
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