Most of us consider our workplace to be fairly safe. We don’t expect to go to work and come home with a life-altering injury. We expect our employers to keep the office safe. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, there were 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses. 888,220 of these cases forced the employee to miss at least one day of work. When it comes to workplace injury, not all jobs are equal. Some careers are hit much harder with personal injury claims than others. If you believe you have been injured at work due to negligence by your employer, take the first step by contacting a personal injury attorney in Macon, Georgia.
Some workplace injury incidents are purely accidental. As a result, an accident can’t be blamed on the employer. Other times, negligence on the employer’s part can lead to dangerous situations. In this case, the employee has grounds to sue for personal injury. Take the time to understand if you qualify for a potential payout from your employer.
Injuries at Work
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, ten occupations make up 33.2% of all private industry personal injury/illness cases. Here are the ten occupations:
- Nursing assistants
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers
- Laborers and freight, stock and material movers
- Light truck drivers
- Construction laborers
- Maintenance and repair workers
- Stockers and order fillers
- Janitors and cleaners
- Registered nurses
- Retail salespersons
Sometimes injuries are accidents. Other times, workplace injury is due to negligence.
Legal Causation vs. Negligence
Personal injury cases fall into two categories: legal causation and negligence. The latter is much more common. Legal causation means it must be proven in court that the employer intentionally or purposefully harmed the plaintiff. While this does happen occasionally, acts of negligence are much more common. Personal injuries due to neglect are accidents. But they are caused by the fact the employer should have foreseen the risk of injury and taken steps to mitigate it. In both cases, you will work closely with your attorney. Also, it is crucial to gather the appropriate evidence to prove the wrongdoing by your employer.
Remember, some jobs are simply higher risk. Not every workplace injury qualifies you to sue for personal damages. For example, if you are a nurse and your employer does everything possible to keep you safe (ex: PPE, hand sanitizer in every room, etc.), there is always a chance that you still might get sick from a patient. Risk comes with the territory of being a nurse. It doesn’t mean that just because you get sick, your employer was negligent. The case flips if your employer wasn’t keeping you safe. For example, maybe they ran out of PPE, and you weren’t able to adequately protect yourself. Personal injury cases have many fine lines and nuances. Discuss the circumstances and facts with your attorney.
Credible Injury with Evidence – A Personal Injury Attorney in Macon, Georgia Can Help!
To sue for personal injury, you first must have a credible injury. Slammed your hand in your car door in the work parking lot? Not a credible workplace injury. Broke your leg during a fun lunch-time pickup football game with coworkers? Not a credible workplace injury. Passed out due to a personal medical condition and hit your head on the bathroom counter? Not a credible workplace injury. With all of these cases, the injury was not due to the employer being negligent. An office can be the safest place possible and still have injuries and illnesses due to outside extenuating circumstances.
A personal injury case must have a credible injury with evidence. For example, a truck driver gets in an accident and provides documentation that the truck wasn’t properly cared for by the employer and hadn’t been taken in for a recent recall. While the line between employer negligence and an innocent accident may seem blurry, your attorney is here to help. An attorney will create your case and gather the necessary documentation and evidence.
Potential Damages
The goal of suing for a workplace injury is to get personal injury damages from your employer. These damages can cover things like lost wages and medical bills. Additionally, damages for physical and emotional pain and disfigurement are available. Also, in some cases, the spouse or a close family member of an employee can also receive damages. In addition, the court may give punitive damages to discourage other employers from committing similar acts of negligence.
Personal Injury Attorney in Macon, Georgia
Did you get hurt at work? Consider hiring an attorney. Depending on the nature and situation of your injury, you might be entitled to receive payout damages from your employer. While some jobs are certainly more high-risk than others, no one should get hurt at work due to carelessness by the employer. Work should be a safe place. Also, employees should feel like they are being cared for and kept as safe as possible. For more information about personal injury lawsuits and damages you might be entitled to, contact Reynolds, Horne & Survant, your local personal injury attorney in Macon, Georgia.
