Work injuries are injuries that occur while an employee is performing a task at work. However, work injuries still apply to various injuries that took place at work even if an employee sustained an injury while they weren’t necessarily working.
Many federal and state laws help safeguard the health and safety of workers by lowering the risk of injuries, but a majority of workplace injury claims would be resolved through worker’s compensation disputes. In most cases, as employment mediation lawyers add, the terms and conditions in an employment contract would guide the dispute resolution process between an injured worker and their employer.
Common Examples of Workplace Injuries
Although some employers may agree to compensate work injuries that aren’t necessarily associated with an employee’s job duties, most claims would focus on specific injuries related to an employee’s job description, which include the following:
- Slip, trip, and fall injuries
- Repetitive stress injuries, including tennis elbow or carpal tunnel syndrome
- Industrial diseases, including popcorn lung, COPD, and other respiratory diseases
- Respiratory illnesses due specifically from inhalation of hazardous substances
- Injuries from being confined too long in a certain space in the workplace
In some cases, worker’s compensation claims might still cover injuries that didn’t occur right in the workplace, such as car accident injuries that occurred while the employee was working off-site. Put simply, if an employee sustained injuries while working for an employer or on the clock, it’s possible that the employee could hold the employer responsible.
Legal Fixes to Workplace Injuries
Workplace injuries are usually settled through damage awards to help employees compensate for their hospital bills and related costs. Worker’s compensation might cover a portion of the damage award, but the employer might also need to pay some of it.
If you believe that you have a viable claim for an injury you sustained while you were working, you need to seek legal aid from an experienced employment lawyer as this type of claim could be complicated, particularly if it involves multiple parties.