Whether the job you’re working is blue-collar or white-collar, whether it is behind a desk or on a factory floor, at some point, unfortunately, you may be in need of a local workers’ comp lawyer. On-the-job accidents happen on the day shift and the night shift, and can happen to anyone with any kind of job.
If you’ve suffered a workplace accident, you should reach out to a nearby workers’ compensation attorney immediately. Here in Ohio (and in many other places around the US) the clock starts ticking immediately on your window to file your claim. It’s essential for you to adhere to the filing deadlines, and you need to start documenting your injury, and the circumstances around it, as soon as possible. When you work with a workers’ compensation lawyer in your local area, they can get started on the paperwork and documentation while you’re still dealing with doctor’s appointments.
The Most Common Types of Workplace Injuries that Are Handled by Our Local Worker’s Comp Law Firm
Electrocution
The occurrence of high-voltage electric shocks in workplace accidents is surprisingly frequent. These shocks are more common for some specific occupations — crane operators, construction workers, utility workers, carpenters, truckers, forest service employees, and, of course, electricians. A serious electrical shock can cause cardiac arrest, organ damage, severe burns, nerve injury, brain damage, and even death.
Violence in the workplace
Sadly, workplace violence remains at an all-time high. Taxi drivers, as well as Lyft and Uber drivers, are frequently susceptible to attacks by angry passengers. Postal workers, phone service installers, and cable television installers are all subject to unexpected attacks, as are utility employees working on gas and water delivery to residences. Workers in hospitals and detention facilities are vulnerable to violence at work, as are nurses and health care professionals working in other types of facilities. And, it’s sadly true that any workplace can become a scene of a violent attack under the worst circumstances.
Poisoning by chemical exposure
All of these types of workplace injuries call for the services of a workers’ compensation attorney in your local area, but this perhaps more than others. Dangerous chemicals at the workplace include lead, benzene, asbestos, and mercury. Prolonged, low-level exposure is more difficult to prove, because it can be hard to pinpoint the source of a slow exposure to poison, but single-time accidents like third-degree skin burns and throat injuries happen often as well and are far easier to trace to their cause. Perhaps the scariest part about both long and short-term chemical exposure is that exposure can lead to neurological conditions and organ damage, and these are often more challenging to see and to diagnose.
Fires
Explosions and fires at jobsites can cause lung and other respiratory problems, loss of sight or hearing, and shockwave injuries. They can also cause wrongful death. Far too many workplaces are not properly protected from flammable materials. OSHA tries to maintain inspections across workplace facilities, but all too often, employers cut corners and their employees suffer the consequences.
Machinery accidents
Heavy machinery can cause horrific accidents. From forklifts and cranes to machine presses, fabrication machines and more, such accidents can cause the loss of limbs, permanent disability, and can often be fatal. When you choose an experienced, local workers’ compensation attorney, they have often seen many of these types of lawsuits through their years of experience. These severe injuries can be the result of incomplete operator training or can be attributed to machinery being inadequately maintained.
Vehicular accidents
Given the high number of professional drivers on the road, from cabs, buses, and transport vans to trucks, semis, and delivery trucks, it’s no surprise that car accidents are a common type of workplace injury. Sales professionals and regional managers often need to drive long distances for their jobs as well, and any accidents occurring on these commuter routes count as workplace accidents and worker’s compensation law applies here as well.
On-the-job falls
Trips and slips happen most often on snow-covered walkways or wet floors. Store employees — think the grocery store, Costco, or Walmart — are the most susceptible to such injuries, given the number of spills that can happen from those high stacked shelves. Mopping floors can leave slick surfaces for slips and falls as well.
Overexertion
Any job calling for people to lift heavy objects –a position on an Amazon warehouse floor, for example — can lead to strains and other overexertion injuries. Pushing, pulling, or carrying too much weight can strain muscles and cause lower-back injuries.
If You’re Injured in Your Cincinnati Workplace, Choose A Workers’ Comp Attorney Nearby
Clements, Taylor, Butkovich and Cohen is conveniently located in downtown Cincinnati. Contact us today for a free consultation. We have built our excellent reputation by serving clients across the Cincinnati area, and we have the experience to help you navigate the workers’ compensation process and maximize your settlement payment.