Originally published June 4, 2020.
Thanks to federal regulations protecting worker safety and workers’ rights, workplaces are safer than they have ever been. But not all employers follow the laws they are supposed to, and accidents and injuries can happen even in safety-compliant workplaces.
Thankfully, workers’ compensation laws protect workers’ rights to be compensated for their medical expenses and lost wages following injuries on the job regardless of whether their employers were negligent or not. In this blog, our Indianapolis attorneys discuss the common causes of workplace accidents and what you should do if you have been injured in one.
What Is a Workplace Accident?
A workplace accident is any accident that occurs while a worker is carrying out duties related to the scope of their employment.
Workplace accidents do not have to happen in the actual workplace; accidents that occur while transporting materials for your job or while performing other employment-related duties off-site also count as workplace accidents.
Common Factors Contributing to Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents are more likely to happen in professions where workers are performing dangerous activities, operating heavy machinery, or handling hazardous materials. As such, some of the most dangerous jobs in the United States include:
- Logging workers
- Fishers
- Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
- Roofers
- Refuse and recyclable materials collectors
- Truck drivers
- Farmers
- Iron and steelworkers
- Construction workers
- Groundskeepers
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds in the United States. While such injuries are more likely to occur in one of the professions listed above, a workplace injury can happen in any type of work environment, even office jobs.
The most common workplace injuries that keep employees away from work include:
- Sprains, strains, or tears
- Soreness or pain
- Cuts or lacerations
The NSC states that the most common causes of workplace accidents include:
- Overexertion: Lifting or lowering heavy objects and performing repetitive motions is the most common cause of sprains and soreness.
- Contact with objects and equipment: When workers operate heavy machinery as part of their jobs, defective equipment or improper training can lead to workers getting struck by or crushed beneath objects or equipment.
- Slips, trips, and falls: Falls to a lower level (such as in construction) or slips on the same level (such as on wet floors) are a common cause of workplace accidents.
The Devastating Consequences of Workplace Accidents
Workplace accidents can cause injuries ranging from minor cuts to permanent disabilities. Sometimes, a workplace accident may even result in the death of an employee. Roughly three out of every 100 workers in Indiana were injured on the job in 2021. 157 Indiana workers died in work-related accidents that same year.
Depending on the type of workplace accident that occurs, workers may suffer from the following catastrophic or fatal injuries:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Burn injuries
- Injuries requiring amputation
- Paralysis
- Coma
- Wrongful death
Such injuries, whether fatal or non-fatal, may leave a family in emotional and financial turmoil. Sometimes, the injured worker was the sole breadwinner for the family, and their incapacitation or death suddenly leaves the family without a source of income.
Additionally, there is no dollar amount that one can place on the emotional burden that a wrongful death puts on a family’s shoulders.
As such, employers should take every precaution possible to create safe work environments and prevent workplace accidents from happening.
OSHA’s Workplace Requirements
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency responsible for ensuring workplace safety and health. Each state has its own OSHA subdivision responsible for ensuring OSHA’s guidelines are being met in workplaces across the state.
The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration (IOSHA) strives to improve workplace safety and health for all Indiana workers by reducing hazards and exposures in the workplace environment. The state agency also works to change workplace culture to increase employer and worker education in workplace safety and health.
IOSHA has two main divisions that conduct workplace inspections to ensure compliance with the agency’s guidelines: The Industrial Compliance Division oversees public and private sector safety and health in the commercial, agricultural, and industrial sectors. The Construction Safety Division oversees safety in the construction industry.
During an inspection, IOSHA officers will check to see whether employers meet requirements including, but not limited to, the following:
- Make sure workers have safe tools and properly maintained equipment.
- Provide safety training, instruction, and warning signs in a language that all workers can understand.
- Post, at a prominent location in the workplace, the OSHA poster informing employees of their rights and responsibilities.
- Report all injuries and deaths to the nearest OSHA office promptly.
- Not discriminate against workers who exercise their rights to report safety violations.
- Correct safety violations by the deadlines set by OSHA and submit paperwork confirming when corrections have been made.
How to File a Workers’ Compensation Claim
If you have been injured at work, whether it was your fault or not, you may recover compensation to pay for your medical bills and lost wages by filing a workers’ compensation claim.
Family members who have lost a loved one in a workplace accident may also be entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits.
The benefits you may recover through a workers’ compensation claim include:
- Temporary disability benefits (or wage replacement benefits)
- Permanent disability benefits
- Medical treatment
- Death benefits
Workers who are ineligible for workers’ comp, such as contractors, and workers who are injured by third parties may also be eligible to file a lawsuit against the negligent party.
Did You Suffer an Injury in the Workplace? Contact Us Today
Your employer has a legal responsibility to ensure your work environment is a safe one. Failure to do so is in violation of state and federal law.
If you have been injured at work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits or damages through an injury lawsuit.
Contact our Indiana workplace injury lawyers today for a free consultation and to learn how we can help you get the money you deserve.