Jefferson County Workers' Compensation Lawyers
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Jefferson County Workers' Compensation
When a worker is injured on the job, it affects not only the individual worker, but also his or her family. A work-related injury can place significant financial and emotional burdens on a family as well. When a worker is killed on the job, families reel under the financial pressure – especially if they have lost their primary or sole breadwinner. If you have been injured, or, if you have lost a loved one in a Missouri work-related accident, please contact an experienced Jefferson County workers compensation attorney to better understand your legal rights and options.
Missouri Workers Compensation Statistics
According to the Missouri Department of Labor & Industrial Relations, in March 2011, there were 9,777 workers compensation claims filed. During that same month, Missouri businesses have been fined approximately $408,576 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for various workplace safety violations. For the year 2010, the Department of Labor discovered 6,600 hazards on Missouri jobsites. Approximately 5,500 of those hazards were classified as serious.
The Division of Labor
The Division of Labor regulates and oversees all Missouri work related injury accidents. Any injury that requires medical attention beyond a simple first aid treatment must be reported to this state department within 30 days of the incident. Employers must report any injury to their insurance carrier within five days of notification of the injury. In 2010 alone, the Division of Labor reported a total of 111,413 work-related injuries in the state of Missouri. There were 1,773 First Reports of Injury in Jefferson County in the year 2010.
Injury accidents can happen at any jobsite. Some types of jobs, however, are more prone to injury accidents than others. According to a 2010 report by the Missouri Division of Labor:
- 19.4 percent of all first report of injuries were related to the healthcare and social assistance industry.
- 13.8 percent of all work related injury reports came from the manufacturing industry.
- 11.1 percent of the reports came from retail industry
The other industries that had a high percentage of injury reports in Missouri include educational services, food services, construction and transportation.
Common Injuries Suffered On the Job
The majority of work related injuries (91.7 percent) involved injuries to multiple body parts. The most common work injuries involve the back, arms, shoulder and knees. These types of injuries commonly occur as a result of lifting, pushing and pulling heavy items in manual labor jobs. That does not mean, however, that workers cannot experience these types of injuries at any workplace. A serious injury can occur anywhere and it is important that an injured worker is provided proper medical care and time away from work to heal.
Filing a Workers Compensation Claim in Jefferson County
Every case is different, but in general it is important to file a claim right away because the claim process can take many months to go through. In fact, the Division of Labor reported that claims that resulted in awards take significantly longer than those that are dismissed. The average claim process for work related injuries broke down in the year 2010 as follows:
- Awards: 45 months from date the claim was filed to date of resolution
- Settlements: 22 months for the claim process to complete
- Dismissals: 27 months for a claim to be officially denied
The workers compensation attorneys at Page Law help expedite what can be a lengthy and complex legal process for their clients while increasing the chances of the worker receiving fair compensation for the injuries suffered. Our experienced Jefferson County personal injury attorneys handle all types of work related accident cases in Missouri. Call us today for a free and comprehensive consultation.
Jefferson County Personal Injury Resource Center
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