Did you know that over two hundred and sixty thousand Americans will experience some sort of fall while they are on the job and miss one or more days of work? Almost a thousand American employees die from work – related falls every year. Some of the most common items that are implicated in workplace falls are ladders, wet floors, and non-moving motor vehicles. While any worker at any job can fall, workplace falls happen most often for those people whose work involves farming, construction, mining, forestry, and fishing.
The construction industry accounts for nearly half of all of the fall-related deaths and injuries that occur in America. This makes sense, when you consider that construction involves employees who work in elevated areas, work environments that are fast-paced, large amounts of heavy machinery and power tools at the job sites, and adverse working conditions like rain, wind, and snow.
There are a few types of fall related injuries that tend to occur in work environments. Some common types of workplace falls are falls from ladders, falls down stairs or from one level of a structure to another, slip and fall injuries from wet surfaces, and trip and fall accidents where the accident victim trips over something that has been left on the floor.
The injuries that are caused by work-related falls can vary from minor bruising and lacerations to traumatic brain injury and even death, in some cases. Factors which influence the severity of a person’s workplace injury include the height from which the worker fell, the force with which they landed, and their body position upon landing, among other things.
Employees who fall on the job are usually eligible for worker’s compensation benefits if their injury happened during the course of their employment. If you are injured at work, you must tell your supervisor about it within thirty days. Only injuries which require medical attention and/or cause the injured party to miss work are compensable through worker’s compensation. If you are able to pursue a worker’s compensation claim, your benefits could include payment of your medical bills, payment for vocational rehabilitation, and weekly wage replacement. In cases of severe injury or death, even more benefits may be extended to the victim and/or their family.
Giddens Law Firm, P.A.: Mississippi Workplace Injury Attorneys
If you were injured at work, it is important that you speak with an attorney right away. A Mississippi Workplace Injury Attorney can help you to navigate the worker’s compensation claims process and understand what kinds of things are likely to happen as your case progresses from start to finish. We understand that your injury has very likely impacted every area of your life, and we are here to help you pursue the recovery that you deserve. The knowledgeable Mississippi Workplace Injury Attorneys at the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. invite you to contact us. Call the Giddens Law Firm, P.A. today at (601) 355-2022 to schedule your free consultation.