Articles Posted in Work Injuries

Injuries that happen on a job site are an issue in every one of the 50 states in this nation. As such, states, employers, employees, and the public at large have a vested interest in addressing work injuries and preventing them as much as possible.

Once injuries happen, though, public concern should extend to the medical treatment received by victims as it is imperative that these individuals become well once again. Studies routinely reflect the fact that injury victims who obtain prompt, competent medical treatment endure better outcomes in the long run than those who are forced to wait for help or who see physicians not qualified to treat a victim’s specific injuries. Now, a new study is revealing the fact that a state’s policy towards workers’ compensation claims may have an effect on victims who sustain low back injuries while working, meaning that the same injury might spur different results depending on the state in which it occurred.

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Life is full of risks, some of which are relatively minor while others are more substantial. Simply walking around Chicago may turn tragic if you are involved in an accident or if you are otherwise hurt, something that occurs daily in the city and often happens to the innocent who do nothing wrong. Yet while a simple tumble or a stumble on the job may seem unlikely to cause damage, new data suggests that it should be treated seriously as falls are the primary cause of eye injuries in the United States.

The new information was presented at the 119th annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology on Wednesday and followed data from 2002 through 2011. During that time, a sample of approximately 47,000 patients with orbital trauma was studied with a patient age range from 0 to 80. The leading cause of injuries to eye accident victims was falls, and among those who fell, the majority were aged 60 or older.

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Most jobs present some risks to those who work them, whether the risks stem from lifting heavy objects, operating in a construction zone, or even working with sick patients. If you are employed, odds are that your job could cause you to be harmed even if you do everything correctly and you follow every rule and protocol provided by your employer. When this happens, Illinois laws apply to give you the protection you need and to enable you to get the help you deserve through a workers’ compensation claim.

Workers’ compensation is a system of state-mandated insurance that must be carried by employers to provide coverage to injured workers, regardless of who was at fault for the injury. These workers deserve to get the medical treatment they need to get well in addition to obtaining payment for time missed from work and possibly a lump sum settlement, depending on the facts surrounding a case and what happened to that worker. When in doubt, speaking with a personal injury attorney can help you realize what options you may possess if you were hurt while working or if someone you love was injured or killed on-the-job.
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Few people in the Chicago area realize how the laws of the state are designed to protect injured workers, and as a result, when people are hurt, they may not realize that they can be compensated for their damages. But regardless of the industry in which you work, you are protected under the law if you are hurt while on-the-clock and that may entitle you to bring a claim for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, and wages you missed while you were unable to work. When in doubt, speaking with a personal injury attorney can help you realize whether you are covered and if so, what relief may be possible in your case.

Before it ever gets to the point of a claim for injuries, it is a good idea to understand some of the typical ways in which injuries occur at a job site so that steps can be taken to avoid those injuries whenever possible. Among all the commonly reported incidents in Chicago, falls are some of the most frequent type of accident that leads to harm. Unlike some injuries, falls can happen at any type of job and in any setting from an office to a construction site. This means that anyone who works in the greater Chicago area may be at risk for an on-the-job fall, though some workers face a greater risk than others.
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It is the responsibility of employers in Chicago and across the nation to maintain a safe and hazard-free environment to the extent possible for the wellbeing of their employees, and there are state as well as federal regulations to ensure this. But despite clear requirements, workplace accidents take place with regularity in Chicago and many of them cause injuries to the employees involved. In the worst instances, someone may lose his or her life due to a workplace incident and that harm will never be righted, no matter what action follows.

The Bureau for Labor Statistics compiles data annually about the number of workers who lost their lives on-the-job as well as what industries those workers were engaged in at the time of their accidents. Numbers for 2014 have been released and show an overall increase of 2 percent compared to the fatalities experienced in 2013.
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No matter what your profession, you should be able to go to work every day without fear that you will be hurt on-the-job. But unfortunately, the reality is far from that ideal as any worker in any industry could be injured while performing his or her duties, whether or not that worker makes a mistake. Some employees are more likely to be injured than others and often it boils down to the profession in which that employee works. Airline workers, nurses, school aids, and assembly line employees are some people who work in riskier fields but one of the biggest categories tends to be construction workers.

Among construction workers and employees in warehouses, forklift operators are at an unusually high risk for harm from the use of a forklift or from an accident. When injuries result, these workers often are left wondering what legal options they possess and whether they have the right to obtain payment for their suffering. Fortunately, it is the right of every injured Chicago worker to obtain legal representation to assist with a case and to pursue all available legal remedies. If you have been hurt on the job, an Illinois workers’ compensation lawyer may help you understand if you are entitled to payment while you miss work and whether your employer must pay all of your medical expenses.
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For more than 100 years, Illinois has had laws designed to provide for workers’ compensation, a series of benefits that are available to help employees who are hurt on-the-job. Despite the long history of this legislation and its corresponding protections, many who work in Chicago and the rest of the state are unaware of their rights under the law and are not sure whether they have a valid claim if they are injured.

In some respects, Chicago workers’ compensation cases are straight forward: when a worker is hurt on the job, generally he or she has the right to relief. Though these cases should present few complications, the reality is much different. Employers often deny valid claims brought by the injured or victims may be offered a fraction of the value of their claim in settlement. As these issues can be complex, many workers find it beneficial to consult with and work with a personal injury attorney in Chicago to ensure their rights are protected.
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It is the duty of every employer in the State of Illinois to provide a safe and reasonable workplace for its employees to perform their tasks, regardless of the industry setting. This means that whether it is a construction site, an airport, a school, an office, or anything in between, workers must be provided with a safe means to work and that their safety cannot be ignored. When an employer fails to take the steps necessary to protect workers’ rights, an accident or other incident may occur and may leave one or more employees with injuries.

It can be devastating when an employee is hurt on the job and unfortunately, nothing can erase these incidents once they occur. However, victims may be entitled to seek financial compensation to help them move beyond an accident and to move forward with their lives. The option to seek payment is available to all workers in Chicago and in Illinois and unlike some other types of claims, it does not matter who bears responsibility in the incident – if a worker is hurt, that worker has rights. Relief can be sought and may include needed medical treatment, payment for wages missed while away from work, and even a lump sum. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who handles workers’ compensation claims in the Chicago area may help you understand your rights if you have been the victim of an accident while on-the-job.

An investigation is ongoing into a fatal incident at a plant in Elk Grove Village on Wednesday. Police have confirmed that a 50-year-old man who worked in a factory was trapped in a machine and that the incident killed the worker. Now, police are reviewing all facts in the case and officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are starting their own investigation.

The incident happened at a plant that makes parts for several industries including aerospace, mining, oil and gas, and transportation and the machine at issue reportedly cuts or shapes raw products into a finished state. It is unclear at this time what led to the accident or how the man became trapped in the machine but police have confirmed that the man died before emergency responders arrived on the scene.
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It is always distressing and unfortunate when someone is injured, especially if that injury is serious. But these issues may seem worse if a victim is harmed and never receives the relief that he or she deserves despite laws in Illinois providing these individuals with help and assistance. When it comes to work injuries in Chicago, these laws are very clear – all injured workers who are harmed while on-the-job are entitled to protection and to benefits, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Rights of the injured worker may include the right to seek medical treatment and to have all medical expenses paid, the right to obtain wages or a portion of wages while you are unable to work due to injuries, and a lump sum payment for other damages like inconvenience, pain and suffering, and possibly damages experienced by your loved ones.

The right to obtain this relief should be automatic after a work injury happens in Illinois but often it isn’t. Employers may make it difficult for workers to get help. Insurance companies may deny valid claims without explanation. Or employees may be offered only a fraction of the relief they deserve. When a workers’ compensation situation arises in the Chicago area, it is the right of an injured employee to obtain legal counsel of their choice and speaking with a personal injury attorney can help these people understand their options and how they may wish to proceed.

Authorities were called to the scene of an industrial accident in Bartlett on Friday that left a young employee without his arm. According to reports, a 25-year-old factory employee was working when his arm became trapped inside an industrial mixer, a piece of equipment commonly used in the factory for the production of food and food products. Emergency crews responded to help the man but first were charged with extricating the man from the machine. Pieces of the equipment had to be removed to free the man and his arm before he could be taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of his injuries, most severely those done to his arm. While doctors attempted to help the man, the damage to his arm was too extreme and the limb had to be removed.

The man’s current condition is not clear nor are the facts surrounding the incident itself.
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