You count on your job to make a living for yourself and to provide for your family. Your plans can quickly be derailed when you suffer an on-the-job injuryor occupational illness. You may need extended time off work to recuperate. You may endure permanent disability that renders you unable to work inthe same capacity you did before the injury. A reduction or loss of income accompanied by medical bills and debt can seem an insurmountable financialburden. Unfortunately for millions of American workers, this scenario is all too real.
According to the most recent statistics of the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), private industry employers reportedthree million workplace injuries or illnesses in 2011--a rate of 3.5 per every 100 full-time workers. More than half of these occupational injuriesare DART cases, or conditions that require Days Away, Restricted duties, or Transfer.
BLS workplace fatality data reveals that 4,609 workers were killed on the job in 2011--a rate of 13 workplace deaths every day. Approximately 12 percentof these workplace fatalities involved contractors, and 17.6 percent of private industry fatalities were in construction.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) identifies the "Fatal Four" construction accidents which account for three out of five constructiondeaths:
Given the nature of the "Fatal Four," it is not surprising that three of the ten most cited OSHA standards involve fall hazards, three involve electricityor hazardous energy, and three involve construction
Workers' compensation benefits may provide a no-fault remedy in certain workplace accidents, but for those who are injured at work as a result of employernegligence, a personal injury lawsuit may provide the fullest compensation available for medical expenses, lost wages, reduced or lost income or earningpotential, loss of benefits, pain and suffering, and more. For those who are grieving the loss of a loved one in a fatal workplace accident or froma terminal occupational illness, a wrongful death lawsuit can provide a measure of justice and a means of financial support for the surviving spouseand children.
