An office setting can be rife with potential safety hazards. Yes, sitting behind a desk is definitely safer than hauling lumber at a construction site, but don’t think Boston injury accidents still don’t happen. If you were injured at the office, please contact our Massachusetts workers’ compensation law firm today. You may want to explore your options.
Common Office Accidents:
• Fall accidents are the most common kind of office accident (includes slip and fall accidents, trip and fall accidents, step and fall accidents, and other falls.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, office workers are at least two times likely to sustain a disabling injury in this type of incident. Common causes include wet floors, poor lighting, bending or reaching for an object while in an unsteady chair, electrical cords on the ground, an open drawer, uneven flooring, objects left on the floor, or standing on a chair instead of a ladder, and dark hallways and stairwells.
• Injuries from lifting heavy items can also happen, even if an office worker is just carrying a box full of papers if his/her posture isn’t properly aligned. Neck, shoulder, and back injuries may result.
• If you are not seated correctly and your work station isn’t ergonomically set up, you could end up with musculoskeletal problems, repetitive trauma, carpal tunnel syndrome, back injury, and posture problems. Eye strain and fatigue can also happen from the hours spent staring at the computer.
• Sexual assault and other violent crimes: Office buildings, like any other property, must have adequate security measures in place to prevent violent crimes from happening. Security cameras, secured entrances and exits, and security personnel may be required depending on the office setting.
• Other office accidents can happen: electrocution, electrical injuries, burn injuries from fires, carbon monoxide poisoning, and other incidents.
Debilitating injuries can make it hard for an office employee to do his/her job. This could mean time off from work, visits to the doctor, and the inability to tend to the other activities and commitments of life.
Although you cannot sue your employer for Boston personal injury or Massachusetts wrongful death, workers are typically entitled to work injury benefits. However, before you agree on the terms of your benefits with the company that you work for, you should speak with Altman & Altman, LLP right away.
Unfortunately, your employer and/or its insurer may disagree with about exactly what happened and if an office accident was the cause of your injury.This could prevent you from getting all of the benefits that you are owed. This is why you should talk to an experienced Boston workers’ compensation lawyer who can protect your rights and advocate on your behalf.
Also, you may be able to sue third parties that were involved, such as the maintenance company whose employee did not properly wipe up a wet floor or a security company that failed to do its job, for Boston personal injury or wrongful death.
Workers’ Compensation: What Benefits Will I Get?, MassResources.org
Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Guide for Injured Lawyers, Mass.gov (PDF)
What are the Top Injuries in a Typical Office and How Can You Avoid Them?, Einstein.yu.edu
More Blog Posts:
Injured Logan Airport Construction Worker Awarded $3 M in Personal Injury Settlement, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, February 25, 2014
OSHA Focuses on Protecting Cell Tower Employees after Increase in Worksite Fatalities, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, February 20, 2014
Dozens Injured After Being Exposed to Carbon Monoxide, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, February 28, 2014