Workplace injuries and work-related illnesses are such a normal part of work that almost all employers are legally obligated to carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover expenses related to workplace injuries. Most workers’ compensation claims are for relatively minor injuries; the injured worker makes a full recovery and is able to return to the same job and perform the same duties as before the accident. For those kinds of workers’ compensation claims, you usually do not need to hire a lawyer unless your employer denies that the injury happened at work. If the injury is so serious that the injured person will never again be able to work at the same job, or even to work at all, the best choice is to hire a South Florida workers’ compensation lawyer.
The Worst Workplace Accidents in Florida
When someone dies in an accident at work, the family could have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. If they survive but are left with permanent injuries, it could be the beginning of a long dispute with the employer about which expenses will be covered; even if it does not end up in a lawsuit, you should still get professional representation by an attorney if you were in an accident so serious that you can no longer perform the duties of your job.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data about accidents that happen at work. Its report on fatal accidents on the job highlights some trends about the most serious accidents that take place at places of business. The most recent available data come from 2018.
- There were 332 workplace fatalities in Florida in 2018.
- Vehicle accidents were the leading cause of fatalities; there were 117 such incidents in Florida in 2018.
- Falls were the second most common type of fatal accident, accounting for 82 incidents. Other categories of causes of work-related death were exposure to harmful chemicals and equipment malfunctions.
- 11 percent of Floridians killed in accidents at work in 2018 were self-employed, while the other 89 percent were employees or independent contractors.
- Florida’s incidence of work-related fatalities caused by violence or animal attacks is much lower than the national average.
- Construction work accounted for about a quarter of fatal work accidents. Truck driving was the occupation accounting for the second highest number of workplace fatalities.
- 95 percent of Floridians who died in accidents at work in 2018 were men.
- 54 percent of Floridians killed in workplace accidents were non-Hispanic White, 13 percent were non-Hispanic Black, 1 percent were Asian, and 31 percent were Hispanic or Latino. These numbers are similar to the percentage of people of each racial group in Florida’s total population.
Let Us Help You Today
While the worst accidents are concentrated in industries involving heavy machinery, workplace injuries can happen to anyone in any profession. You need a workers’ compensation lawyer if you have been seriously injured in an accident at work. Contact the Sunrise workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Offices of David M. Benenfeld for more information.
Resource:
bls.gov/regions/southeast/news-release/fatalworkinjuries_florida.htm
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