Workers Compensation Overviews and Common Types of Injury

In 2009 in the US alone (the latest year for reporting), the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 4,340 people were killed and over 3.3 million were injured as a result of work place accidents. That's over 12 people killed and 9,000 people injured every single day. Therefore it is easy to see how a team of experienced Riverside workers compensation lawyers would have their work cut out dealing with all the issues surrounding the cases.

Many employees suffer painful and debilitation injuries such as broken bones and bad crush injuries, whilst other can develop lung diseases such as Mesothelioma caused by prolonged breathing of toxic substances such as asbestos. Others develop what are known as occupational injuries such as carpel tunnel syndrome, tendinitis and back strain and are seen as a large hazard for people working on assembly lines, or office environments, where workers are constantly making the same movements over and over again.

Fortunately in most states (California included) it is compulsory for any company who employ more than one person to have workers compensation insurance. This is put in place so that the employee can have quick and easy access to funds in order to cover medical expenses and a loss of wages whist they are in recovery. It is a 'no blame' policy which means that even if it was the workers own fault, they can still make the claim. It also means that unless the employer is grossly negligent, then the injured victim cannot sue for damages against them. If you are an injured victim and you suspect that your employer has been grossly negligent then you should contact an experienced team or Riverside County workers comp lawyers who will explain your rights.

One thing that the insurers of your employer will look for is whether or not the accident occurred whilst you were at work. Generally when the term 'at work' is used it actually means 'on works time'. So let's say that you had an accident whilst you were having a coffee break or lunch break, or that you were injured when you were attending a company event. Then even though you might not have been doing the job that you are paid to do at that moment in time, you are still 'on works time' and this means that you should be entitled to damages. Many employers will try to disqualify a claim because of this very reason, so if you feel that you have had a legitimate claim disqualified, then you might want to speak to a Riverside County workers compensation lawyer who is well versed in dealing with such issues.

Most common accidents

In 2009 over 965,000 people had suffered accidents that were deemed severe enough to have taken more than one day off work so with this in mind, here is a list of the most common types of work related accident

• 379,000 cases of sprains, muscle tears and strains
• 212,000 cases of slip and fall
• 195,000 cases of back strain and injury
• 142,000 cases of head trauma
• 768 fatalities from road related accidents
• 579 deaths from falls
• 440 homicide fatalities

Workers compensation has existed in our society for over 100 years and in the main works very efficiently. However when you are dealing with so many claims being processed, there are always going to be some disputes. In this instance, by speaking to an experienced workers comp attorney, they will tell you that you do not have to accept that a claim has been denied if you strongly believe that it is legitimate. Instead presenting your case before the workers compensation claims board may give you some form of recourse, and this is something that an attorney can help you prepare for. Or alternatively they can represent you.

There are many things that a team of highly skilled Riverside workers compensation lawyers can do to help, so don't suffer in silence, contact them today.