Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Baltimore MD: Important Facts You Need to Know

Workers’ Compensation Lawyer – Baltimore MD

Baltimore workers’ compensation lawyers are experienced in many areas of the law and strive to support victims in any way possible. Employers are bound to certain responsibilities, especially keeping their employees safe and providing safe and adequate tools for the job. Of course there are dangerous jobs that require a certain level of risk, but demanding unrealistic expectations from employees can lead to workplace accidents and lawsuits to follow. Maintaining a work environment where safety is a top priority is key to keeping employees happy, but more importantly, free from danger and injury that could result in a lawsuit.

There are organizations like Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) that have strict guidelines to keep employees safe and informed of their rights. Yet in Maryland alone, 705 claims were filed as of March 2016, and over $18 million paid to individual workers. More importantly 4,600 people were killed in 2014 on the job, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS). These numbers are astounding for a twenty-first century country with state and federal laws to protect employees. The BLS also notes that the most recent and common types of workplace injuries are:

• Falls
• Electrocutions
• Struck by object
• Caught/Stuck in between

Getting advice from an experienced Baltimore wrongful death lawyer can help you determine whether or not your specific circumstances qualify for a wrongful death case. Workers’ compensation laws are meant to cover any medical expenses that are incurred from the injury at work, disability payments while the employee is unable to work, and sometimes rehabilitation and retraining (if necessary). In dangerous situations, there is only so much that one can do to protect themselves, especially in hazardous industries like construction. Additionally, these are the largest workplace violations according to OSHA from 2014 to 2015:

• Fall protection
• Hazard communication standard
• Scaffolding requirements
• Respiratory protection
• And more…

Sometimes after a workplace accident, employers may try to coerce their employees into believing there is nothing else they can do, and to simply accept the workers’ compensation system already in place. The laws on workers’ compensation can easily be misconstrued by employers to get out of having to pay for damages, so do not hesitate to get a free consultation from a Baltimore personal injury lawyer who can help you decipher the laws around workers’ compensation. Negotiating with your employer is the first step in a long process of cooperating and compromising on an agreement. Although sometimes employers could be charged of workers’ compensation fraud under the following circumstances:

• Underreporting payroll to get lower insurance premium
• Exaggerating experience
• Evading to cover employees with workers compensation

Understanding and acknowledging these laws before and after you have a workplace accident can be the difference between receiving justified compensation and carrying the burden yourself. In some instances, the compensation can be negotiated between the two parties, but prevention is key. If you decide to speak with one of the most reputable workers comp lawyer Baltimore MD has to offer, be prepared with questions and details of the incident. Staying in frequent contact with your employer is a plus, so that they can gauge the return to work and the necessary rehabilitation for each specific job. Although the construction industry happens to be one of the industries with the most amount of injuries, there are plenty of jobs that require risk and dangerous tasks to be performed on a daily basis. Illnesses and health-related adverse effects from a harsh work environment could also be covered by workers compensation.

Surprisingly, in 2013, manufacturing and goods-producing industries had more reported injuries and illnesses than the construction industry according to the BLS. With certain jobs, the risks are unforeseeable. It’s unexpected that in that same year, there were the same amount of reported injuries or illnesses from animal food manufacturing that natural resource and mining accidents (both tied at 71). Knowing about the dangers of your job can be an asset if you ever need to file for workers compensation, speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer in Baltimore, or negotiate with your employer.

Lastly, important laws you should understand about workplace injuries are:

• Fellow servant doctrine: another co-worker is at fault for the workplace accident
• Contributory negligence: the employee understood and knew the dangers and did not use proper precaution
• Assumption of risk: the employee willingly proceeded with the task, disregarding and not understanding the entire risk involved

Contact Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Baltimore MD

Before you sign an employment agreement in an industry that is known to be dangerous, make sure you understand these laws. If you need help to decipher any language of your employment agreement, including the workers’ compensation section, do not hesitate to contact our experienced Baltimore workers compensation lawyers.