Injured at Work?

On average, each year more than 100 Michigan workers lose their lives as a result of injuries or accidents in their places of work. While many employers do their best to ensure safe working conditions for employees, often unsafe conditions, negligent business practices, or improper safety measures result in occupational fatalities.

Equipment accidents that result in crushing or amputation injuries, exposure to dangerous chemicals or other substances, and vehicular collisions are among the more common causes of death on the job. Falls, fires, and even assaults are also responsible for fatal work injuries.

Since 1971, OSHA has reduced the number of workplace accidents 60%. However, there were still more than 4000 people fatally injured in occupational injuries nationally in 2009 ¹. These numbers to not reflect the thousands of non-fatal work injuries that take place each year, injuries that can mean missed work and lost wages, high medical bills, and even permanent disability.

Injury on construction and industrial sites is not just a "risk of the job." If you have been hurt while correctly performing your job, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Injuries at work may result from any number of situations, but there are some common types of injuries our occupational injury lawyers see more often:

Forklift Accidents

Nearly 100 thousand people are injured by forklifts each year. One hundred people are killed.

Crushed or Amputated Limbs

Electric Shocks

Shocks may result from of a failure to provide appropriate safety gear, improperly maintained equipment, or a host of other causes.

Lack of Protective Equipment

Boots, helments, eye protection, and safety harnesses may be improper for the job, or missing altogether.

Falls

Falls from ladders, scaffolding, and other heights can result in serious injury.

Repetitive Motion

Ditch or Trench Collapse

Without appropriate safeguards, a ditch can quickly collapse on workers causing crushing and suffocation.

Work injuries vary greatly, but often physical injuries at the workplace affect the back, neck, and shoulder. As there is a variety in injuries, there is a wide variety of workplaces where these injuries occur, however, the more common industries our attorneys see include:

• mining: including oil, coal, gas, and mineral
• construction: both heavy industrial and residential construction, highway, and others
• transportation: truck, freight, rail, and water
• manufacturing: sawmills, chemical plants, plastic and rubber manufacturing, and many others.

Workplace Injury Lawyer

While some industries are just naturally more prone to certain types of injuries, anyone can be hurt on the job. If you believe you are entitled to compensation as a result of your work injury, one of our occupational accident attorney will be happy to provide a free consultation to help you determine your rights. Contact us today.

Footnotes

1. State Occupational Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshstate.htm