This blog has on previous occasions discussed how workers in Rome, Georgia, and other parts of Northern Georgia, may be able to get workers’ compensation benefits if they get hurt or sickened on account of their jobs.
While many might not think that a serious workplace accident will happen to them, statistics suggest that on-the-job injuries and even fatalities are more common in this state than one might expect, and even in professions that one might think of as relatively safe.
For instance, the rate of reported injuries was relatively high among Georgia workers who are employed in the retail sector, particularly in the so-called big box stores that sell heavy lawn, garden and other hardware and equipment.
With respect to fatalities, in 2017, there were 194 fatal work-related injuries in Georgia altogether. Of those, almost half involved a motor vehicle accident or some other problem with transportation. An additional 30 of these deaths were due to some sort of violent activity, while an additional 27 were on account of falls. Contact with dangerous or heavy objects, machinery and the like accounted for 25 on-the-job fatalities.
As we have said before, workers in this state who get injured on the job may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits, in turn, can help an injured worker cover medical bills and lost wages so that the worker can focus on healing and getting back to work. Benefits are also available to the families of deceased victims.
However, although no-fault workers’ compensation benefits are of course helpful, victims or their families should also remember that, in some circumstances, additional compensation may be available in the form of a lawsuit alleging third party liability.