Atlanta Workers' Compensation Lawyers

A report from the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA) states that daily occupational fatalities have dropped from 38 deaths per day back in 1970 to 15 deaths per day in 2019. The number of deaths and injuries has dropped due to improvements in workplace safety measures. The most common work-related injuries are overexertion, slips and falls, and equipment accidents. Most workplace accidents are preventable when proper precautions are taken and companies follow OSHA's guidelines. However, workplace accidents due occur, and this article will discuss the most common workplace injuries.

Railroad employees deserve to work in a safe environment. However, working for a railroad is demanding and can be dangerous. An employee of a railroad company faces significant dangers each shift around the yard when loading freight, moving cars or repairing an engine. Also, operating the train is fraught with hazards such as derailment, collisions, fires, and inhalation of toxic fumes. 

COMMERCE, GEORGIA - A news story on fox5atlanta.com reports that a fatal fall accident at the SK Battery plant in November last year has become a legal battle.*  The worker tragically fell to his death last November, and the contractor is allegedly blaming the SK worker for the fall.  The contractor is allegedly refusing to pay benefits to the SK worker's family.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Advocates state that the new bill signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis protecting businesses from COVID-19 related lawsuits does not protect employees.  Representatives for the Florida Justice Association stated that the bill does not permit workers to hold employers accountable for acting negligently during the pandemic. 

The past 20-years have experienced a steady decline in the number of injury rates in the United States. However, the number of serious injuries and fatalities has not decreased. New information and statistics provided by the ISN's Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) Insights report show the safety difficulties still challenging companies in various industries. The ISN also noted that the transportation and warehousing industries have taken the lead in Serious Injury and Fatality (SIF) rates spanning from 2017 to 2019. 

ATLANTA, GA - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a construction crane is dangling off of a 31-story office tower in Midtown Atlanta, and fire officials say the crane is in danger of falling.* The fire officials also reported that it might take two or more days to secure the crane.

According to an online news report provided by several news sources, including miami.cbslocal.com, Florida ranks in the top five nationally for the rate of COVID-19-related workers' compensation claims filed in the first half of 2020.*

According to the most recent data published on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of October 26, 2020, there was a 2% increase in the total number of on-the-job fatalities. The "Fatal Work Injury Rate remained unchanged at approximately three deaths per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. Over the past several years, the number of fatal workplace accidents in the United States is about 5,000 deaths.   It's important to note that depending on the state where the injury occurred and the specific facts of an incident, the analysis of what is and what is not a workplace incident may change.  

Workers’ compensation programs exist in order to provide protections for individuals who suffer from work-related injuries. The laws related to workers’ compensation vary from state to state. In general, these programs cover the medical costs associated with work-related injuries, and some wage replacement for employees who miss work as a result of their injury or illness. Workers’ compensation benefits do not include some forms of compensation available in personal injury lawsuits, such as payments for pain and suffering. However, unlike a personal injury lawsuit, workers’ compensation benefits are not based on fault. This means that it is possible for an injured employee to collect workers’ compensation even when no one wrongfully or negligently caused the injury, or even if the injured person caused the injury through his or her own carelessness.

According to a news article on 247WALLST.COM, approximately 5,000 accidental workplace deaths occur in the United States each year. The number of fatalities on the job is still hovering at the highest total in a decade, and many of these fatalities are caused by transportation accidents during the line of work. 

GEORGIA – According to an NCCI Holdings Inc. brief published online at GWCA.INFO, narcotics play a significant role in workers’ compensation cases. The drugs are commonly prescribed to patients who have been injured in work-related accidents and can account for almost 20 percent of a claimant's medical costs.*

TALLAHASSEE, FL- Thousands of workers in Florida have been infected by the coronavirus. Many of those who contracted the virus were frontline healthcare workers, and yet half of these workers' compensation claims were denied by insurance companies.*

FLORIDA- Worker's compensation claims involving car crashes are rising, according to BUSINESSINSURANCE.COM. The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) suspects that the reason for this increase is at least partially related to people using their phones while driving.*

ATLANTA, GA- Ajc.com writes that a construction worker in Atlanta, Georgia died in a crash this week. Reports indicate that the boom lift that the man was operating fell, and the victim became crushed beneath the wheel.*

ALABAMA- The bls.gov keeps track of information regarding deadly workplace accidents throughout the United States. Data from 2018 indicates that in Alabama, 89 people died on the job in various industries. The number of workplace deaths in the state hit a high in 1996, with 155 workers tragically dying. In 2015, 70 deaths were reported making it the least fatal year for work-related fatalities in Alabama.*

TUSCALOOSA, AL- Two construction workers sustained serious injuries in an accident that took place during construction on the Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, according to CONSTRUCTIONDIVE.COM. The structural concrete beams fell onto a manlift that the victims were operating at the time.*

ALABAMA- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recently issued a report on a fatal pipeline explosion that occurred in Alabama in 2016, according to NYDAILYNEWS.COM. The tragic event killed two people, injured four others and caused delays in the shipment of fuel supplies to the Eastern Seaboard.*

USA- Workcompcentral.com reports that employees are suffering higher than average rates of on the job injuries at Amazon warehouses around the country. Amazon is pushing to fulfill orders as quickly as possible. The fast turnaround between a consumer clicking to order a product and receiving that product at their door is part of the success of the massive company.*

MACON, GA. – According to an online news report posted on The Telegraph on Macon.com, a worker fatality that occurred at the Nichiha plant in Macon, Georgia, is under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This is the second worker fatality to be investigated at the plant since its 2007 opening, according to the report.*