Florida Construction Site Accidents
In the state of Florida, with the drastic rise in personal injury claims, year over year, more and more individuals are suffering from accidents as a result of a negligent, at-fault party than ever before. According to Mr. Charles Spinner, considered to be the Top Personal Injury Lawyer 33602 area has in practice, those individuals who have been hurt while on the job have more options than ever before, in order to receive the proper compensation for their injuries. Across any field that is covered by workers compensation, construction sites are by far the most risky and more hazardous, with countless hazards across even the safest of work sites – from agriculture, tourism, international trade and much more – any of such fields can result in a vast number of injuries – from the smallest of bumps and bruises, to far more severe breaks, fractures and more. According to Mr. Spinner, as the Top Personal Injury Lawyer 33602 has to offer, one of the most common issues is that those individuals who have been involved in such issues rarely know the proper methods to proceed with in order to obtain the justice and compensatory damages they deserve. To better understand such claims, it is important for workers to be aware of federal regulations and guidelines set forth by such legislation.
Federal Regulations & the OSHA
With such worksite injuries becoming more and more common throughout the years, the federal government had to step in and better equip individuals with the proper steps to take. According to Mr. Spinner, the Top Personal Injury Lawyer 33602 area has practicing in the field, the organization responsible for all construction site injuries and even fatalities, is known by the acronym OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. This organization is tasked with investigating workplace injuries and fatalities, in order to see if employers were actually using poor health and safety protocols or cutting corners – often in an effort to keep costs low. According to Mr. Spinner, the best personal injury lawyer Tampa has to offer, one thing workers need to understand is that while OSHA is there to often help workers attain workers compensation in such cases, they are still responsible to perform a fair and honest investigation – meaning that they might just as easily find that the workers themselves were being negligent and may have caused their own injuries as opposed to the business.
The most common worksite injuries that are found as a result of OSHA investigations include:
· Back & Neck Injuries
· Hearing Loss – Due to load noises or explosions.
· Slip & Falls
· Electrocutions
· Crane or Forklift Accidents
· Drowning
· Fires
· Auto Accidents
· Poor Quality Defective Equipment
· Exposure to Hazardous Waste
And much more – all of which being either the fault of the company or due to the negligent actions of the worker(s) themselves.
Workers Compensation in Florida
According to Mr. Spinner, the Best Personal Injury Lawyer Tampa has to offer, workers compensation claims are some of the most common forms of personal injury claims across the state of Florida – due to the rise in construction site accidents. If a worker in Florida becomes injured, due to a construction site accident or any other type of worksite, he or she must tell their employer as soon as possible. State law requires that an employee report an injury within 30 days of it occurring. According to Mr. Spinner, the best personal injury lawyer Tampa has in practice, after that, the employer will notify the insurance company within the prescribed period of time, at which point the worker will be told which company-approved doctor he can see for his injuries. As a result of a doctor’s visit, there are certain types of benefits that can be approved including:
· Indemnity Benefits: If an employee cannot work for more than 7 days, they are able to receive money to partly or fully cover their lost wages.
· Temporary Total Disability: If the doctor says the employee cannot work, he should receive 2/3rds of their normal wages, paid on the 8th day which they haven’t been able to work. With a critical injury, they may receive 80% of their regular wages for up to 6 months.
· Temporary Partial Disability: If the employee can return to work, but he cannot earn the same amount of wages he earned at the time he was injured.
· Impairment Benefits: When a doctor believes that a worker has healed as much as he will and will be somewhat impaired moving forward.
For more information about obtaining workers compensation, or to schedule an appointment with Mr. Charles Spinner, be sure to contact Spinner Law Firm today.