Stephen Hasner | Workers' Compensation | May 25, 2018
Most people would consider hospitals relatively safe places—after all, people go to hospitals to try to recover their health. However, hospitals can actually be quite dangerous places to work.According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), almost 58,900 hospital workers sustained injuries that required them to miss days of work in a single year. That means that more workers sustained injuries in hospitals every year than in construction work.
The top five injury risks in hospitals include:
- Overexertion or bodily reaction injuries – About 48 percent of healthcare worker injuries are related to lifting, reaching, bending, and similar motions that can cause sprains, strains, or other back or neck injuries. This is often related to lifting, transferring, and helping move patients.
- Slips, trips, and falls – Hospitals involve many hazards that cause workers to slip or trip. Some hazards include wet substances on the floor, slippery flooring materials, objects on the ground, or poorly lit halls and stairwells. Slips, trips, and falls can result in serious injuries – often more serious than you would expect.
- Contact with objects – Many hospital workers are injured when they get hit by an object or otherwise come into traumatic contact with an object. This type of accident can result in lacerations, contusions, fractures, and other injuries that require medical care.
- Violence – Some hospital patients become aggressive and violent towards healthcare workers, including patients with opioid or other substance abuse issues. Additionally, some patients may have cognitive or behavioral impairments that cause them to become confused where they are, believe they are being held against their will, or otherwise have angry outbursts. Violence against hospital workers can result in serious injuries.
- Exposure to substances – Some hospital workers handle many chemicals, bodily fluids of infected patients, and other potentially toxic materials on a regular basis, as well as needles and other sharps that can puncture the skin and introduce these substances into the body. Contact with such substances can cause a variety of illnesses and injuries.
When a hospital worker suffers job-related injuries in the Atlanta area, they may have important rights under Georgia’s workers’ compensation laws. Like other employers, hospitals are required to carry the necessary workers’ compensation insurance and provide prompt benefits for medical care, lost income, and disability to individuals injured at work. The process of receiving benefits can be complicated in some situations; however, with potential roadblocks and delays. To ensure your best chances of receiving the benefits you deserve, you should not hesitate to contact a skilled workers’ compensation attorney for assistance.
Our Atlanta Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Hasner Law PC Can Protect Your Rights
The workers’ compensation attorneys at Hasner Law PC have years of experience representing injured workers in Georgia. We know how to protect your rights during the workers’ compensation process, whether you need assistance filing a claim or appealing a denial. We fight for the benefits you should recover under the law if you’ve been injured at work.
For more information, please contact the Atlanta workers’ compensation law firm of Hasner Law P.C. at our nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve in Fulton County, Chatham County, and its surrounding areas:
Hasner Law PC – Atlanta Law Office
2839 Paces Ferry Rd SE #1050
Atlanta, GA 30339
(678) 888-4878
Hasner Law PC – Savannah Law Office
221 W York St
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 234-2334
