Most Massachusetts workplace injuries are covered by workers’ compensation benefits. On-the-job accidents, such as chemical burns, falls from high places, inhalation of toxic fumes, being struck by an object, and work-vehicle accidents can result in serious physical injuries and even death. But what about emotional injuries? In Massachusetts, mental and emotional injuries…
Massachusetts provides benefits for five types of workers’ compensation disability claims. These are 1) temporary total disability, 2) temporary partial disability, 3) permanent partial disability, 4) permanent and total disability, and 5) death. Total disability is paid for up to three years when an injury prohibits any ability to work.…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is calling for a reform that would provide temporary employees with the same benefits and training that permanent employees hold within a company. An agency that provides temporary workers to various businesses committed a serious violation in 2014 and has since been called…
Water, rest, shade; three simple words that hold a lot of meaning if you are out working in the hot sun all day. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (otherwise known as OSHA) as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) are offering easy to follow…
On-the-Job injuries can occur during the most mundane tasks, such as typing, making phone calls, and sitting at a desk all day. While certain occupations, such as construction, have a higher risk of serious injury and death, desk jobs can cause debilitating injuries that make doing your job painful, and…
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 15 million Americans work the night shift. That is a substantial portion of this country’s workforce. Unfortunately, working a night shift job comes with an increased risk of fatigue, loss of focus and attention, and decreased cognitive function. These negative effects can…
A worker was injured in an Amherst construction accident when a granite slab weighing about 700 pounds fell on him while he was on the job at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Carlos Velasquez injured his hip, shoulder, and leg. He was transported to a Springfield hospital. The Massachusetts…
According to Bureau of Labor statistics from 2011, cumulative trauma disorders comprise over half of all occupational illnesses in the U.S. CTDs are caused and aggravated by repetitive movements or exertions that affect specific parts of the body. Nerve tissue, muscles, and tendons can be damaged over time, with the…
According to a ruling by a state Supreme Court, an employer is not allowed to get credited for the full amount of a lump sum workers’ compensation settlement that it already paid in a case that was later re-opened after the employee’s occupational disability worsened. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled…
In the state Senate, a bill was introduced this year that could enhance the benefits allowed for injuries involving permanent disfigurement under the Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act. Currently, workers here who sustain disfigurement on their legs, arms, and torsos are not entitled to work injury compensation for those injuries, although…