Hazards present at construction sites are very serious and can kill or cause significant injuries. It is imperative that construction workers keep an eye out for these hazards and that employers take a proactive stance to address them. Without both approaches, workers can have accidents with horrifying outcomes.
What qualifies as an on-the-job injury?
In order for an employee to recoup workers' compensation damages, an accident and related injuries need to have happened while the worker was carrying out his or her job duties. In other words, the incident needs to have happened in the course and scope of the workers' employment.
5 critical reasons for accidents and injuries on the job
One of your co-workers was seriously hurt on the job. The accident caused production to slam to a halt, it was chaotic until emergency services arrived, and you haven't seen your co-worker since. He's in the hospital, recovering from serious injuries, and workplace rumors say he may never be able to return to his job.
Workers' compensation - The basics
Imagine lifting a heavy box at work and feeling a pop in your back. The next morning, you were in the hospital and neurologist was explaining the surgery he would be doing on your back the following day. It turns out that you had slipped a disc in your lower back when you lifted the box at work.
Workers' comp denied? You still have options
Imagine working in a retail store as a stocker. You are in the back bay pulling product when a tower of improperly stacked boxes falls on top of you. After getting to the emergency room, you find out you have a concussion and some cracked ribs. Now, you are facing a high emergency room bill, multiple other medical expenses and you will have to miss work for more than a week.
Retaliation for workers' compensation claims
If you have been injured while performing work-related tasks, you may qualify for workers' compensation. However, if you decide to file a workers' compensation claim and your employee fires you or threatens to fire you because of it, you have grounds for legal retaliation.
What constitutes a "workplace" injury in Florida?
It seems like a no-brainer: If you are injured while on the job in Florida, you should be covered by your employer's workers' compensation insurance. But today's workplace has changed. With the improvement of WiFi signals, more people work from home, at coffee shops and even while traveling across country. The changes have brought a widening definition of what it means to be "injured on the job" under Florida's workers' compensation laws.
Workers' compensation or personal injury claim? Could be both.
Workers injured on the job in Florida will typically be covered by their employer's workers' compensation insurance. But after paying for your medical treatment, workers' compensation only covers about two-thirds of your lost earnings.
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