Costly U.S. work-related injuries and illnesses
How does $250 billion per year in health costs sound to an employer? Not very healthy! A newly released government study shows that amount and more is the cost to employers in New York and across the U.S. for work site accident injuries and illnesses. This total exceeds all costs for cancer, more than costs for diabetes, and it is more than double the costs for strokes.
The author of this study, Paul Leigh, claims that not enough attention is being paid to occupational health. The University of California (Davis) professor of public health sciences says risk from job-related injury and illness is so high because the average worker does spend about 40 percent of his or her time at the workplace. Continue reading
Old Construction Accident Eventually Leads Man Into Homelessness
A man who once owned his own construction business was forced to live on the streets and in shelters, according to this story out of Billings, Montana. Stephan Larsen, 52, has reportedly never dealt with such hard luck, a former home owner and business owner, he misses being able to work.
Though a divorce forced him to move his construction operation in the pursuit of business, it was an old injury from a forklift accident that eventually caused him to stop working. What was once an inconvenient back pain became unbearable in his age.
He ended up sleeping at a Rescue Mission where he had formerly worked and found employees. A friend there eventually helped him into a housing program. But his injury still plagued him.
Requiring both knee and back surgery, Larsen was finally able to collect disability and get medical care with government assistance. Now, about thirty years after his forklift accident, he is scheduled to get the first surgery.
“I don’t want to be disabled,” says Larsen. “After the surgery is all done, I want to go back to school. I have too much time on my hands sitting around the apartment.”
Larsen’s case is not an unusual one. Though construction/work site accidents rarely lead to homelessness, it is possible, and they often lead to financial hardships and even the inability to work.
When you are hurt on the job, you may initially be sent to the doctor and be told by your employer that everything will be taken care of. But many people are surprised when their supervisor or a worker’s compensation representative starts urging them to finish treatment, basically to suck-it-up and get back to work.
Make no mistake, even if you enjoy your job and the people you work for, they are running a business, and the primary interest of any business is making, not spending money.
Being injured on the job can present unique frustrations as your job is the one who should be made to pay for any safety oversights or negligence. But it’s you, as the patient and employee, that are often made to feel like the situation is your fault.
An experienced personal injury attorney from Omrani & Taub, P.C., can help. We are dedicated to seeking justice for our clients. We know what you are going through as we’ve represented many clients in similar situations.
If you’ve been hurt on the job, you can’t wait 30 years to seek relief. By then, it may be too late.