Seeman Holtz Describes the Most Common Causes of Worker’s Compensation Lawsuits
As an insurance agency, Seeman Holtz recognizes the importance of comprehensive coverage options for the protection of businesses and their employees. Injuries on the job are common in certain industries, and it is crucial to ensure that medical care for employees’ work-related injuries and illnesses are accessible. If not, entities leave themselves wide open for potential lawsuits that could have a negative impact on their business.
Seeman Holtz conducts regular research on the common causes of worker’s compensation lawsuits to ensure that its practices help employees stay protected in the best ways possible. This includes utilization of worker’s compensation coverage in addition to commitment to strong safety programs that can help reduce the risk of workplace injuries in the first place. Here, Seeman Holtz evaluates common workplace injuries that can be a catalyst for worker’s compensation lawsuits.
Sprains and Strains
Falls are one of the most common causes types of accidents that occur in the workplace, and stretched or torn ligaments, muscles, and tendons are likely injuries that can accompany these types of events. Employees can also develop sprains or strains from improper lifting or ergonomics, stressing muscles with awkward movements on a worksite, twisting ligaments, repetitive motions, and collisions. Seeman Holtz lawsuit mitigation strategy for sprains and strains involves working with employers to ensure that they have effective worker’s compensation insurance for their business. Insurers will also typically recommend that employers and employees familiarize themselves with the US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines that include information for both lifting and ergonomics. This is because a commitment to a safer workplace can reduce the risk of sprains or strains before they occur.
Lacerations
Lacerations, deep cuts in skin or flesh, can occur in almost any industry. Naturally, they are most common in industries that involve cutting or chopping such as machine shops, manufacturing, restaurants, and food production. Lacerations can occur because of a variety of reasons such as failure to wear proper safety gear, loss of concentration on the job, or rushing to meet demands of service. One factor of lacerations is that they can range in severity, ranging from minor cuts that can be treated with first aid that do not trigger worker’s compensation benefits to wounds that require medical attention and stitches. Lacerations also present the risk of infection, which can necessitate hospitalization and prevent employees from returning to work until it heals. In addition to worker’s compensation coverage, Seeman Holtz lawsuit mitigation advice for laceration accidents includes several proactive strategies. For example, employers should always be sure to educate employees on what safety gear is appropriate for a given job, keep work areas tidy, and regularly replace ineffective tools such as dull knives.
Contusions
Bruises are among the top three injuries that lead to worker’s compensation lawsuits. As with other accidents that occur on the job, there are a variety of ways that a contusion can occur. By far the most common are when an employee drops an object or bumps into something in the workplace. Because contusions are most likely occur while lifting an object, most of the ways to mitigate risk of these injuries and potential lawsuits involve remaining educated on ergonomics and standards for lifting. This means that employers should provide management support, involve workers in worksite assessments, provide training, identify problems, and implement solutions to potential hazards. Education on proper ergonomics and environmental awareness on the job can keep workers safe while performing in the most effective way possible. This commitment to safety in addition to worker’s compensation coverage play an important role in Seeman Holtz lawsuit mitigation strategy.
