Worker misclassification results in denial of benefits
Workplace injuries can often be prevented, but sometimes injuries occur because of the carelessness of a fellow employee. An example of this type of accident is a permanent hand injury suffered by a Pennsylvania truck driver when employees of other companies failed to properly cap his pressurized tank and later failed to safely correct the...
PA court rules in favor of deceased worker’s claim
Employers are not always cooperative with workers' compensation claims and sometimes try to create barriers for an injured employee seeking recovery. One way of doing this is to claim that the employee's injury is not work-related. In cases where the injury clearly took place while the employee was on the job, the argument may...
Injured employees and the right to workers’ compensation
In a recent post, we commented that employers are well aware of the costs of workers' compensation claims and, because of the financial impact of such claims, aren't always supportive of the rights of injured employers. A recent article in Small Business Trends highlights this issue, and notes that companies may be able to...
Report shows workplace injuries to be costly
A recent report looking at workplace fatality statistics is a stark reminder of the risks some workers face every day on the job. The report, published by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, found that an average of 4,628 workers died on the job in 2012, and that an estimated...
Report looks at prevalence, preventability of ladder accidents at work
Ladders in the workplace can be dangerous, for obvious reasons. When ladders are routinely used at work, the risk of workplace injuries increases, and employers need to ensure workers are properly trained and that they are observing appropriate safety practices.
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control, one...
Oil boom increases number of oil field deaths
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of work-related deaths among oilfield workers has significantly increased over the last several years. Specifically, a total of 545 oilfield workers died between 2008 and 2012 when the fracking boom was occurring.
Fracking, as many readers know, is the name for the process...
What isn’t covered by Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation laws?
No one wants to deal with a debilitating work-related injury or illness. After all, many working families depend on a regular stream of income to make ends meet. Getting injured on the job seemingly disrupts a person's earning potential. However, Pennsylvania residents can rest easy knowing that state workers' compensation laws cover nearly...