North Carolina Workplace Deaths in 2014 – The Workers’ Blog

The worst thing to happen to a worker in regards to on-the-job injuries is if they are tragically killed while at work. This is always a horrible blow to the company, the community, and of course the family. Unfortunately, these situations are more common than anyone wants. Granted, even just one person passing due to job-related injuries would be too many, but the numbers over past years have slowly been climbing which brings about many concerns regarding workplace safety. In fact, from 2013 to 2014, North Carolina saw a 90 percent increase in work-related fatalities.

Forty-four deaths in 2014 in the state of North Carolina were workplace-related deaths. The majority of these were based in construction and saw a seven-person increase to nineteen deaths from the year before. Most of these deaths were within the first ninety days of the employee being on the job. Nine deaths were accounted for in manufacturing, service industry workers saw six deaths, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing saw three. In fact, this last category is the only one listed that saw a decrease in fatalities.

The majority of deaths at work were caused by the working being hit by an object. The second highest cause of death at the workplace was falling, and there were also seven workers that were tragically crushed to death. The majority of workers killed were men, with only one woman being killed on the job out of the entire number. This information was released by the North Carolina Department of Labor.

In order for workers’ compensation to be provided in the event of an employee’s death, the death must be related to a compensable injury or disease. This injury or disease does not need to be the only cause of death, but it must at least accelerate or aggravate a previously existing condition which then becomes the cause of death. There is also a time frame that the claim must fall into if the death is not instantaneous. If a claim is not filed within two years of the death, it may be barred and should be submitted within thirty days.
If a loved one has been killed on the job, call Collier for your free consultation. We deeply regret your loss and will do everything we can to help you get the compensation your family deserves.

Respirators and Why You Need Them – The Workers’ Blog

While this title may sound like a sales pitch for something that we don’t provide, we want to make sure that you understand just how important a respirator is to everyday work. While obviously, not everyone will need a respirator, many people who are working outside or in construction should always have one on. While most of us think that respirators are just meant to keep the dirt out of our lungs, the truth is they can do so much more to help protect you from getting seriously sick.

A wonderful example is that of construction workers who are dealing with older buildings. Most of the structures built before a certain time used asbestos in the insulation if nothing else. If someone is working with demolition or a remodeling company, then they will most definitely need a respirator to keep not only the dust but the toxic chemicals out of their lungs as well.

Even working outside may be a reason for you to put one of those mechanisms on. There are certain diseases that are airborne that some workers may be at a higher risk of becoming exposed to. One such disease is Histoplasmosis. This is caused by a fungus that can be found in the droppings of birds and bats. Once a pile of feces is disturbed, it can release spores that then become airborne and may be inhaled by the workers. While this is a treatable disease, it can be deadly if not caught on time as it can spread through the body starting with the lungs.

This is a disorder that is not only a concern of those who work with these kinds of animals, but also with construction workers, demolition workers, heating and air conditioning installers, roofers, painters, bridge inspectors, or anyone else who may be exposed to even a moderate amount of animal droppings. This is why proper respirator use is so incredibly important.

If you have contracted a disease like Histoplasmosis, then call Collier today for your free consultation. We may not know a lot about animals or respirators, but we do know a lot about workers’ compensation and will be able to tell you whether or not you are eligible. Make sure that you file a claim and keep as much documentation as possible to ensure your chance to get everything you deserve.

Heavy Machine Injuries and Workers Compensation

Large machines are always a bit scary when you are working with them. Even if everyone is doing everything in the exact way they should be, something may still go wrong. From the viral video you may have seen of the crane spinning in the high winds due to the recent hurricanes to the incident last year in Fort Mill, you never know when disaster can strike while using large machines and construction equipment.

Last year, a construction worker was rushed to a hospital in Charlotte after he was seriously injured by an excavator while working on the Doby Bridge Road construction site. The thirty-four-year-old had been talking to his superiors about a maintenance issue that the machine had been having when the person controlling the excavator moved it which is when he was struck, knocked over, and ended up being pulled under the machine as it was moving. This investigation was turned over to OSHA as it was not believed to be criminal in any way, just a simple (albeit painful and potentially deadly) accident.

Accidents involving excavators are not abnormal. In fact, between the years of 1992 and 2000, there were nearly 350 deaths relating to excavators and backhoes. This generally involved the victim being struck by a moving part of the machine, or even being hit by the bucket which can unexpectedly disconnect from the excavator’s arm. As we said before, someone can be doing everything perfectly and still have an accident where someone is injured.

The saddest part of this fact is that the majority of these injuries could have been prevented. Most of these cases involve some issue with the setup of the site. These can include power wires being caught and causing electrocution, a steeper grade than the machine is supposed to be operated on, or simply having heavy machines too close to trenches which can cause a loss of control.

If you or a loved one has been hurt while on the job due to some sort of heavy machinery, do not hesitate in calling Collier Law Firm for a free consultation. We will fight for you to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve from your work-related incident. You have enough to worry about, let us take some of that stress away by working for you.

Workers’ Compensation Claims for Family Members

Very often, the injuries that workers sustain on the job do not affect just them. Their family must also learn to adapt to certain things that their loved ones can no longer do, even if it is just temporary. While this is normally an inconvenience to some, it is not life-changing. However, there are some ways in which you can bring your work home with you that can cause harm to your family members without you even knowing. Unfortunately, this is a bit more severe than bringing home your work laptop to fill out some extra paperwork that you are behind on.
It has been observed that some workers who deal closely with chemicals and other toxic materials have a possibility to bring these things home to their families. It is something that has been noticed quite a lot recently with the families of those who worked closely with Asbestos and similar materials which cause cancer. Before the regulations we have now, many workers would simply wear the same clothes they worked in home and then would unknowingly expose their families to the small fibers which could be breathed in.

There was a case a few years ago which saw three different North Carolina farmworkers give birth to children with an abnormality consistent with pesticide exposure. Farmworkers already are prone to more injuries than most due to the heat, constant movement, and exposure to chemicals. While they are generally healthier due to high activity and low obesity levels, the risk for injury is quite high. Although pesticides are safe in certain amounts, obviously during child development this can cause many problems. This has also been seen in women who worked in funeral homes to embalm the bodies, as the heavily regulated formaldehyde caused extensive reproductive issues due to the exposure and the height at which the bodies rested during the process.

While we can’t always claim workers’ compensation for the families of those affected, there is always a possibility to claim a third-party liability. Call Collier Law Firm today for a free consolation and see what we may be able to do for you and those you love. It is always heartbreaking to see your family suffer, regardless of the reason. We will do everything we can to make sure you get the compensation you and those you love deserve.

Preventable Worker Deaths – The Workers’ Comp Blog

Some of the most tragic deaths that occur on the job are so horrible because they could have been easily prevented. Just last year, one of these occurred in Atlanta, Georgia at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel. Although you may be expecting a story about someone killed while doing renovations on some of the rooms or a worker falling out of a window that had cracked, this is simultaneously a much tamer and yet even more horrifying story. One of the female hotel workers walked into the large freezer to retrieve something and became stuck, resulting in her freezing to death.

The 61-year-old woman was found after an estimated thirteen hours spent inside the large, walk-in freezer in the hotel. While walk-in freezer doors are mandated to have latches that can open from the outside, these can sometimes malfunction and I can tell you from personal experience that there are not many things as terrifying as knowing you are stuck in there without knowing if anyone can hear you trying to get back out. Safety inspectors are now calling for a panic button to be installed in these freezers which would alert someone at the hotel as well as emergency personnel to the event.

Unfortunately, this will not help those who have already passed such as this woman. It is unclear whether or not the hotel knew that she was missing, but it wasn’t until her husband called out of concern with her failure to return home that they looked at security footage and found her in the freezer which had been set for ten degrees below Fahrenheit. A spokeswoman for the hotel said that two days before the incident, the door had been tested around 30 times and opened each time. However, around a month after the tragedy, a worker and an OSHA representative tested the door and allowed themselves to be closed into the freezer when it malfunctioned. They had to pound on the door to be let out.

If a loved one has been killed on the job with something so preventable, do not hesitate to call Collier. We extend our deepest sympathies and truly wish to do all we can to get you the compensation you deserve for the life of your family member. We know that it isn’t the same as having them back, but you have been through enough and deserve to have someone else take care of these issues while you grieve.

Aerial Lifts and the Dangers They Pose – The Workers’ Blog

It is fairly common sense that if you are meant to operate large machinery, you should have proper training. It is also universally acknowledged that one of the most dangerous things about construction sites is heights. If you put these two things together, then you know that there is a great deal of concern about machinery up in the air. Things such as aerial lifts are some of the most dangerous machines that can be operated on a construction site and unfortunately, their use has been quite deadly over the past few years.

Aerial lifts are machines that allow workers to get up to different levels in order to effectively reach certain areas that are higher up. While these are safer than ladders or rope harnesses, they are still extremely dangerous objects to use. This is especially true if you do not have the proper training for them. This fact was proven once again earlier this year right in Rock Hill, North Carolina. A young man, unfortunately, lost his life after an incident occurred while he was operating a boom lift as he was working on repairs to the outside of the high school.

Although it has not been reported whether or not this man lost his life due to a fall, we do know from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that falls are the most common cause of death for workers on job sites. They also stress that aerial lifts are some of the most dangerous equipment and that training is essential for anyone operating these machines. Within three years, there were 1,380 people who were injured due to aerial lifts and over 350 of those were due to a fall. During those same three years, almost 90 workers were killed using aerial lifts and over half of those deaths were the result of a fall. Statistics show that around 26 workers die each year due to aerial lifts, with electricians at the highest risk. Laborers, painters, and carpenters were also at risk of injury or death due to this equipment.

If you or someone you know has been injured, or a loved one has passed due to an aerial lift, call Collier today for your free consultation. We want to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve for the injury that was sustained.

Workers Compensation and Opioid Abuse

One of the large problems facing much of the country right now is prescription drug abuse. Whether obtained through the doctor or not, the excess use of prescribed medication has become an epidemic throughout the entirety of America. This is true no matter where you go, and it is a sad fact that many people are unable or unwilling to seek help for the addiction which has gripped so many. Whether someone had been prescribed medication for an injury or if they found it another way, the truth is that the addiction can harm many and regrettably has taken the lives of many.

This is true of those who have been harmed while on the job as well. Many people who have been hurt while at work are prescribed medication to help deal with the pain of their injuries and may become dependent upon the drugs. While naturally everything is done to prevent this from occurring, sometimes people end up falling to addiction no matter what precautions are taken. Addiction is not a weakness, but rather something that anyone may become a victim of. Unfortunately, secondary mental health issues are often not covered under the treatment of workers’ compensation claims. This means that most people who become addicted to prescription pain medications due to their worker’s compensation injury are often left without many if any, options.

This is why, on April 6th, 2017, the North Carolina Industrial Commission held its first meeting of the opioid task force. This was held in Raleigh and was meant to cover possible solutions to the rising problem of drug abuse in regards to workers’ compensation claims. Due to the fact that this is a brand new force, there has been very little progress within the past month. However, we are extremely excited about this new work into helping to keep all of our workers safe. We know that drug addiction is a horrible situation for anyone to find themselves in and will happily report all that we can about any new progress that is made by North Carolina’s new opioid task force. Until then, be sure to use all resources available to you and be sure to get help if you think it is needed.

Can I Be Fired For Submitting A Workers’ Comp Claim?

One question that we hear a lot from those who are debating submitting a worker’s compensation claim is whether or not they can be fired for doing so. We understand how concerning it can be to be injured on the job, however, we want you to know your rights so that you can feel good about whatever decision you make. While we always suggest filing a worker’s compensation claim if you have been hurt on the job, we also understand that your situation is not always so clear-cut. For this reason, we want to explain the laws that protect you in North Carolina in regards to filing a claim.

In North Carolina, you cannot legally be fired for filing a worker’s compensation claim. You also cannot legally be demoted, suspended, or relocated for the same reason. In fact, the law protects you from being fired for many different reasons in this state. These reasons include work-related injuries, wages, salary, work hours, workplace health and safety, pesticide exposure, the juvenile justice system, domestic abuse restraining orders, national guard, genetic testing, hemoglobin, and more. This is all part of the North Carolina Retaliatory Discharge Act, or REDA.

Unfortunately, this isn’t as cut and dry as it may seem. North Carolina does allow employers to fire their employees for almost any reason or no reason at all. This is especially true if they cannot continue to do the work. If, however, you believe that you have been punished due to filing a worker’s compensation claim, you should file a claim to the North Carolina Department of Labor within 180 days of the event. The claim will be investigated and may be able to allow you to proceed to court. In court, you may be able to win lost wages, benefits, and other things such as attorney fees at your former employer’s expense.

If you believe that you have been treated unfairly, demoted, or even fired for submitting a workers compensation claim, then do not hesitate in calling Collier for your free consultation. Our goal is to help you get any monetary compensation that you deserve despite whatever roadblocks may be placed in your path. We are dedicated to helping you get healthy again and back to work, so give us a call and see what we can do for you!

Women and Worker Deaths – Charlotte Workers’ Comp Lawyer

A recent report was just published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which shows the drastic difference between men and women when it comes to workers compensation. The numbers truly are shocking when you see the difference between how many injuries and deaths are reported in regards to gender each year. Even more shocking, perhaps, is the cause of these injuries and how preventable most of them are. This is especially true when we see the leading causes of death and injury to women while they are in the workplace.

In 2015, 4,836 men were killed while on the job. That is a truly sad number and our hearts go out to the friends and family of all those who ended up passing away. When you read that the number of women who were killed on the job during the same year was 344, there is the automatic habit to think “wow, that’s great that so few women died in comparison”. While it is true that there is a vast difference between the two numbers, they don’t end there. In fact, just about the only similarity between the two is the fact that the number one cause of death to both genders is transportation accidents.

The second most common reason for death among men in the work place is fairly innocuous. Slipping and falling was named the second leading cause of death for men. While this should be at least somewhat preventable, the shock for most comes when they read that the second leading cause of death for women on the job is violence or injuries by others. Sadly, many women I know were not surprised at this and unhappily accept it as part of their daily lives. Domestic violence that occurs at their place of work is the second leading cause of death to women in the workplace. Let that sink in for a moment and realize just how preventable a good number of those 344 deaths in 2015 probably were.

If someone you love was killed while on the job, call Collier Law Firm for your free consultation to see if their family may be eligible for workers compensation death benefits. End of life expenses can add up quickly and you may be able to get enough money to give them the memorial they deserve.

Mesothelioma – Charlotte Workers Compensation Lawyer

Over the past couple of years, there has been a lot of awareness brought to us about something called mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is more than just a word in a commercial. It is actually a severe form of cancer for which treatments are available but as of now, a cure is not known. Unfortunately, many people have been exposed to factors which can cause mesothelioma. Although there are other factors such as genetic and other health issues, the main known cause of mesothelioma is an exposure to asbestos.
    Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used for decades to create everything from flooring boards to roofing shingles. It was commonly used in insulation for many years and as such many people have been exposed to it. People who used to work in construction, mines, shipyards, and even those who worked in buildings that had asbestos in the materials used to make them are at a much higher risk of developing mesothelioma. However, it is also worth mentioning that mesothelioma can be a genetic disorder, so if you are diagnosed with it you may not have been exposed to large levels of asbestos. Different people develop mesothelioma after being exposed to varying levels of asbestos, so there are other factors at play that you need to discuss with your doctor first.
    There are many different symptoms to mesothelioma due to the fact that there are different forms of the cancer. Some of the symptoms include shortness of breath, painful coughing, pain under the rib cage, abdominal swelling, unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest or stomach, unexplained weight loss, and more. It is always important to report any concerning symptoms to your doctor right away, especially if you believe you may have been exposed to asbestos. Remember that it can take decades for mesothelioma to develop after your exposure, so there may always be a chance that your disease was work related.
    If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma and you believe it may be due to a job, then call Collier today for your free consultation. No one should have to go through a diagnosis like this alone and we know how financially catastrophic the treatment can be. Get in contact with us and we will do everything possible to help you through every step of your possible workers compensation.