What is a workers’ compensation claim?

Workers’ compensation is government-mandated injury insurance for employees, overseen by the state. It enables injured workers to recover medical care and other benefits without bringing lawsuits against their employers. Employers may pay for workers’ compensation insurance for their employees, or they may be self-insured and handle workers’ compensation claims directly.

What is a personal injury case?

Through an injury claim or civil litigation, an injured person may pursue compensation with evidence that someone or some organization has caused an accident that injured them through negligence.

What is a third-party liability claim?

A third-party liability claim against a negligent person or organization that is not an injured person’s employer is separate from a workers’ compensation claim. An injured worker may find relief after an on-the-job accident or occupational illness through both types of legal actions.

When someone commits wrongdoing or fails to take reasonable precautions to protect the well-being of others, these actions or omissions are called negligence.

A person, business or government agency that is held to be obligated or responsible for compensating someone for injuries and losses is said to be liable.

What are ‘damages’ in a personal injury or premises liability case?

The legal remedy for negligence – usually money that someone may need to pay to cover a plaintiff’s injuries or losses – is often called “damages.” In addition, punitive damages may serve as punishment for negligence.

What is premises liability?

A property owner or manager is considered responsible for the well-being of people who work in, live in or visit their buildings or land. Through a premises liability claim or lawsuit, a store owner or parking lot manager may be liable to compensate customers for on-site injuries.

What is a maritime injury?

Typically, a maritime injury in the United States is one that hurts a worker or passenger on a vessel in U.S. navigable waters. Shore-based accidents may also pertain to the maritime industry.

How are maritime injuries covered?

A maritime accident may be compensable through federal Jones Act claims and other state and federal laws governing vessels on navigable waters, such as rivers and ocean waters.

What is a soft-tissue injury?

A sprained ankle, a herniated disk and neck strains caused by torn muscles or tendons are all examples of soft-tissue injuries.

What is a catastrophic injury?

A life-altering spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury (TBI) or amputation that may require disability accommodations and personal care for the rest of the injured person’s lifetime is considered to be catastrophic.

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Poisonous plants and outdoor worker safety

On Behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC | Jul 27, 2016 | Workplace Injuries

There is a great deal of variation in the types of environments U.S workers do their jobs in. Some jobs involve a lot of work in outdoor environments.

Outdoor work has many unique aspects. This includes some special safety risks. One reason for this is that nature, while it can be picturesque and refreshing, can also have its dangerous aspects.

So, when outdoor workers suffer on-the-job injuries, there could be a lot of unique factors at play in how the injuries came about. Understanding what specifically led to a particular workplace injury can be key in having a clear picture of what compensation-related options the injured worker has. Experienced workplace injury lawyers can help workers who were injured while performing work outdoors with investigating what particular factors were present in the events that led to their injuries.

One of the things out in nature that can pose dangers to outdoor workers are poisonous plants. Examples of some such plants that are found here in America include: poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

Now, some might make assumptions that exposure to such plants while working really isn’t that big of a problem. After all, the worst that could happen as a result of such exposure is having to deal with some itching, right? Actually, what effects a worker experiences from being exposed to poisonous plants can vary quite a bit. In some instances, the effects are quite severe.

So, being on the lookout for poisonous plants and taking precautions aimed at preventing poisonous plant exposure (like wearing gloves and cleaning work tools after using them) can be important safety steps for outdoor workers when working in areas where lots of plants are present.

Among the things that could lead to a worker experiencing particularly major effects from exposure to poisonous plants is inhaling the sap oil of such plants One thing that could lead to risks of such inhalation arising is poisonous plants being burned. Given this, it is very important for employers of outdoor workers to exercise great care when it comes to the disposal/burning of plants.

Source: Safety+Health, “Avoid poisonous plants when working outdoors,” June 26, 2016