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Traditionally, hard hats were allocated to construction sites to protect workers from falling objects and to protect themselves in other potential construction accidents. Safety helmets were used by bicyclists, motorcyclists, and in other sports. The lines became blurred as safety technologies advanced and newer models were replaced. Nowadays, old-fashioned hard hats are articles of the past.
The evolution of the hard hat began a century ago when shipbuilders wanted to protect their heads from falling objects. The first stage was shipbuilders covering their regular hats with tar. In later years, protective hats were made from steamed canvas, aluminum, steel, leather, plastic, and fiberglass. Today, the most common element used is polyethylene. Some hard hats come with visors, lights, face shields, radios, and ventilation. The next stage was evolving standard construction safety helmets.
Helmets are generally used to protect someone’s head when operating objects such as bikes, ATVs, and skateboards. They are also worn by outdoor sports aficionados and rescue workers. Outdoor enthusiasts normally attach helmets closer to their head with chin straps; these helmets typically do not have brims. Newer features of safety helmets may include Hi Viz materials, ear protection, and attachable visors.
Construction hard hats have remained the same over the past 40 years, but Bloomberg BNA claims that this is changing. Bloomberg BNA recently posted designs of helmets for construction workers. These helmets were originally designed for mountain climbing and other outdoor sports. The main reason for this is so that helmets have better side impact protection and do not fall off during impact. The safety director of Skanska USA Commercial Development, explained that a hard hat may fall off when a worker falls and jerks their head.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classifies head protection into different classes and types. These classifications also coincide with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). OSHA also requires that employers provide head safety gear that meets or exceeds industry standards. Each class indicates protection from an electrical accident and each type indicates the protection level from an impact. The following are three different classes provided by OSHA:
The following are two types of helmets that are classified by the OSHA:
Understandably, modern construction helmets have pros and cons. The helmets provide security from side impacts with a lifespan up to 10 years; helmets are also more stable with chin straps. However, they can be costly, prices range from 100 dollars to 150 dollars each. In contrast, hard hats average around 15 dollars with some models feeling too heavy on the head. Another barrier is a worker’s preference. Hard hats have a long association with construction workers and many workers may not want to change the traditional appearance and feel of standard hard hats.
If you were injured in a construction accident while at work, you may be eligible for compensation. Our devoted Wilmington work injury lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow support workers who have suffered injuries from a construction accident. Contact us online or call us at 302-427-9500 for a free consultation about your case. Located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, we also represent clients in Elsmere and Seaford, Delaware.
Nail guns are commonly used in industries, such as construction and carpentry, due to their ability to boost productivity in the workplace. However, nail guns can also cause serious injuries; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that they are responsible for 37,000 emergency room visits each year. Nail gun injuries vary on site and severity, however most are penetrating injuries to the hand.
Nail guns have the potential to cause serious, even fatal injuries. According to a study published in the ePlasty Journal, it only takes projectile velocities of 150 feet per second to penetrate the skin; projectiles fired from nail guns can reach velocities of up to 1,400 feet per second, causing extensive damage to surrounding tissue, nerves, and bones. Accidentally discharged nails that become embedded in a worker’s hand can not only cause musculoskeletal injuries, but can also leave the wound open to infection from foreign substances.
Although workers report nail gun injuries to the thorax, abdomen, flank, pelvis, and face, they most commonly occur to the hand. The hand is one of the most commonly injured parts of the body in any job, however there have been an increasing number of nail gun accidents in the construction industry over the last few decades. While nail gun injuries can cause blindness, cerebral damage, or even death, they most commonly result in:
Treatment typically involves removing the nail, irrigating the wound, and applying antimicrobial dressing. Nail gun injuries tend to heal quickly, however they often cause significant pain and loss of mobility, which can lead to disability claims and lost time from work.
Most nail gun accidents are preventable. According to the CDC, employers can safeguard employees against nail gun injuries by:
If you suffered a nail gun injury at work, contact a Wilmington work accident lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow. Our experienced attorneys can help you file a claim and receive the benefits to which you are entitled. From our offices in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we represent clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford. For a free consultation, complete our online contact form or call us at 302-427-9500.
Fractures can be the result of many different workplace accidents and leave you with financial worries, especially if you must miss work due to your injury. For this reason, it is important to understand your legal options after being hurt on the job. If you were injured as a result of a workplace accident, you may be eligible for Workers’ Compensation.
A fracture is another word for a broken bone. It is a common type of injury and occurs when physical force on a bone is stronger than the bone itself. Fractures are normally caused by a traumatic event, such as a fall or a blow. It can be difficult to tell whether you have a fracture, but there are symptoms to look out for. Fractures can cause:
Fractures can be categorized into displaced and non-displaced fractures, which refers to the alignment of the bone that is fractured. There are also open and closed fractures; an open fracture is when the bone breaks through the skin, while a closed fracture refers to when the bone breaks underneath the skin.
Workers’ Compensation protects workers who have sustained an injury on the job, regardless of who was at-fault for the accident. It provides financial support, medical benefits, and even death benefits to the family if an employee dies as a result of their workplace injury or illness. If an employer does not provide employees with Workers’ Compensation, they may be subject to fines, lawsuits, or criminal charges.
The most important thing to have in a case involving a broken or fractured bone is medical evidence, which includes x-ray images of a fractured bone. Black and white x-rays make it difficult to dispute that a bone was broken or fractured. This makes it easier to negotiate a settlement. If there is little to no proof that the accident occurred as a result of a workplace injury, the Workers’ Compensation payment may be lower than if there was substantial evidence.
If you or someone you know was injured in a workplace accident, contact a Bear DE Workers’ Compensation lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow today. Our experienced lawyers will fight for your rights and obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. For a free consultation, contact us online or call us at 302-834-8484. With offices located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we proudly serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford.
Despite their best efforts, employees sometimes experience injuries while on the job. Whether nagging or severe, injuries can lead to lost opportunities to receive income, high medical bills, and sometimes the need to switch occupations. Back injuries remain among the most common conditions reported by team members seeking Workers’ Compensation. In fact, injuries related to the back and spine can happen in a wide range of environments, sometimes without warning.
The most common reasons for back injuries stem from improper, poorly delivered, or non-existent training. A worker who does not understand how to stay healthy and safe while working may make errors, such as lifting items the wrong way. Over time, these missteps can lead to stress on the back, which turns into long-term back problems.
Even workers who have been trained the right way from the beginning may not realize the gravity of workplace safety. For instance, an employee in an industrial plant may attempt to skip safety steps to get a task completed faster because of a demanding manager. This can lead to mistakes and the opportunity for injuries. If the demanding manager is acting outside of corporate orders, the company could be held liable for the worker’s injury. Certain employees have back trouble due to repetitive stress. Merely twisting and turning a certain direction, day after day, can cause repetitive injuries on the back and the rest of the body. Repetitive strain can then snowball into more serious, permanent conditions.
Whatever the reason for back injuries, they all manifest themselves uniquely. Therefore, every case needs to be custom considered. As an example, some people with workplace back injuries complain of lower back strain that worsens or cannot be alleviated. Other workers may be diagnosed with herniated discs, requiring occupational or physical therapy, or even surgery. Pinched nerves and damage to the spinal cord are other medical problems associated with work-related back injuries.
Ideally, employees who experience any type of back injury on the job should feel free to make a Workers’ Compensation claim and have it approved. Sometimes, though, insurance carriers and companies that self-insure deny relevant claims. In those situations, or if a back injury is due to extreme negligence on the part of the employer, the worker may want to seek advice from a Workers’ Compensation lawyer.
If you suffered a back injury at work, talk to the Wilmington work injury lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow today. We will review your case and obtain the benefits you deserve. Located in Milford, Wilmington, and Bear, Delaware, we serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford. Call us at 302-427-9500 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Employees are susceptible to a variety of injuries each day. One type of injury, called a crush injury, often leads to severe complications, including death. Due to the nature of this type of injury, victims often need a long recovery period that often leads to expenses, including hospital bills and lost wages.
Crush injuries occur when an individual is pinned between two items. Ultimately, these incidents can lead to fatalities, nerve damage, internal bleeding, amputations, and other severe injuries.
Crush injury complications include:
Employees can obtain crush injuries whenever they are crushed between two items. However, there are a few common ways to obtain crush injuries. An employee may experience a crush injury from falling objects. For instance, if a construction worker is working in an unstable building, the ceilings, walls, or other objects may collapse and cause a crush injury.
An individual may also obtain a crush injury from being run over. Employees may experience this from a large piece of machinery, such as a forklift. The equipment used in construction settings are often extremely heavy. Therefore, severe injuries and fatalities may occur. Trench collapses can also cause injuries. Trenches are built by employees working on the inside. When trenches collapse, it often leads to fatalities.
Motor vehicle accidents may also lead to crush injuries. Professional drivers spend a lot of their time on the road. When an accident occurs, it may cause a crush injury. Mechanics may also obtain crush injuries if a vehicle falls on them due to a faulty jack stand.
Due to the nature of crush injuries, employees may be unable to work. This can lead to financial difficulties for victims and their families. Therefore, it is important for injured employees to consult a Workers’ Compensation lawyer. This will help families secure funds for medical bills and lost wages. Similarly, if an injury was caused by an external party, it is possible that the victim can file a third-party personal injury claim. This would be applicable to parties, including construction site managers, vendors, and contractors. This option may be used if a party’s negligence led to the injury.
If you or a loved one obtained an injury at work, please consider contacting a Wilmington work injury lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow. Our lawyers work closely with clients to fight for entitled compensation. If you are interested in speaking to one of our lawyers, contact us online or call us at 302-427-9500 for a free consultation. With offices located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we proudly serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford.
All work can become stressful. However, when work-related stress becomes an everyday occurrence that affects an employee’s quality of life, the employee may want to consider filing for Workers’ Compensation benefits. While getting approved for Workers’ Compensation benefits because of work-related stress can be challenging, employees have been successful under certain circumstances. First, it is important to talk about what differentiates certain stressors from others.
Intense, rather than normal, work-related stress typically comes from work conditions and demands that are persistently difficult to deal with and achieve. As such, they become increasingly overwhelming. For example, an industrial worker may be constantly expected to work harder to produce unrealistic results. Eventually, the worker starts to feel emotionally taxed, as well as physically exhausted. Yet, instead of recognizing this, their supervisors continue to expect higher levels of productivity. It is obvious to see how this type of pressure can be a source of unyielding stress and anxiety.
Another type of workplace stress may stem from witnessing a traumatic incident, such as seeing a colleague become seriously injured or even killed. Stress may also come from being harassed at work or treated differently, which are both human resources matters and may be grounds to file a lawsuit. Aside from making the environment impossible to enjoy, bullying and snubbing by management can lead to tremendous feelings of unease and worry. Any continuous work stress beyond what is normal could be a reason to file a Workers’ Compensation claim.
Employees cannot merely tell their employers that they feel stressed out to be considered for Workers’ Compensation benefits. Instead, they must be diagnosed with work-related stress by a professional. Some indicators of work stressors that can be proven through medical intervention include regular headaches, digestive difficulties, muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, sleeping problems, frequent illnesses, growing depression, panic attacks, memory issues, loss of interest in job, performance issues, aggression, isolation, and even suicidal thoughts. Anyone who experiences these indicators should seek immediate attention from a trained physician.
Most employees believe they can only file a Workers’ Compensation claim if they suffer a physical injury. Yet, Workers’ Compensation benefits are available to workers who can document their work-related stress with medical bills and other information. Attorneys can help stress-burdened workers file their initial claim, or help if the first was denied.
If you were injured at work, a Milford Workers’ Compensation lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow can help. We can assist you in proving that your heightened levels of anxiety and related physical and emotional symptoms are a direct result of your workplace atmosphere and experiences. Call us today at 302-834-8484 or fill out an online form for a free consultation. Located in Wilmington, Milford, and Bear, Delaware, we serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford.
Workers’ Compensation benefits are available to workers who become ill or injured in a work-related accident. Work-related conditions can be injuries resulting from a single, isolated incident, or a chronic, long-term illness caused by ongoing conditions or environmental factors at the job site.
Occupational diseases are caused by exposure to a host of different clinical, physical, and psychosocial hazards, some being less obvious than others. Employees seeking Workers’ Compensation benefits must prove the connection between workplace hazards and chronic illnesses. A skilled Workers’ Compensation lawyer is the best resource for tackling complex work-related illness claims and ensuring workers receive the benefits they deserve. The most common occupational diseases impacting worker health and well-being include:
Delaware workers have six months from the time they become aware they have an occupational disease to report it to their employer and a year to file a Workers’ Compensation claim. Workers with other types of injuries have two years to file a claim.
If you suffered from a work accident, you are entitled to benefits for your medical care and lost income while you are unable to work. The Bear DE Workers’ Compensation lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow understand the unique challenges of Workers’ Compensation claims. Call us at 302-834-8484 or complete an online inquiry to schedule a free consultation today. With locations in Bear, Wilmington, and Milford, Delaware, we serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford.
A gas company worker has died as the result of a shooting that happened in Wilmington on Monday afternoon. Two contractors from Delmarva Power and Light Company were working on a gas main when they were shot. Each gas company worker was taken to area hospitals, where one remains but is now listed in stable condition. The second victim succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
Workers who spend their days outside or at a work site may be in greater danger of becoming victims of violence. While hazardous conditions may exist at any workplace and in any industry, recent reports of workplace violence mean that the danger of being hurt on the job due to physical assault or worse is a very real concern. This is especially true when steps are not taken to ensure adequate security for workers in areas where crime is more likely to occur.
If you or someone you love was injured at work as a result of violence, contact the Wilmington work accident lawyers at Rhoades & Morrow by calling 302-427-9500 or contact us online. We represent clients throughout Delaware, including those in Wilmington, Hockessin, Newark, Glasgow, Bear, Middletown, Smyrna, Dover, Milford, Lewes, Georgetown, Elsmere, and Seaford, as well as in communities in New Castle County, Kent County, and Sussex County from our offices located in Wilmington, Milford, and Bear, Delaware.
Millions of workers in the United States perform their jobs on scaffolding. These temporary platforms allow men and women to clean, paint, repair, and build structures of all types and heights. To safely support these men and women, scaffolding needs to meet strict guidelines in design, use, and weight restrictions.
Improperly built scaffolding poses an enormous fall risk to workers whether they are a few feet off the ground or stationed at the top of a skyscraper. From broken bones to head, neck, and spine injuries, scaffolding accidents can be incredibly dangerous and even fatal.
According to the United States Department of Labor, around 4,500 workers are injured in scaffolding accidents every year. Many of these accidents are fatal. The most common scaffolding accidents posing a risk to workers include:
To reduce the occurrence of preventable, dangerous scaffolding accidents and injuries, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has clear guidelines in place for employers and workers utilizing scaffolding on the job. Based on OSHA safety regulations, scaffolding should:
Employers should use OSHA regulations in conjunction with state guidelines to ensure workers always utilize scaffolding safely.
Even with all we know about how hazardous scaffolding can be and how to prevent debilitating and catastrophic construction injuries, the number of scaffolding accidents every year remains high. So, what recourse do workers have if they are injured in a scaffolding accident on the job?
A fall from a great height or being struck with an object from above can be life-changing. Beyond the pain and suffering these injuries can cause, there is the financial impact of ongoing medical care and loss of income for workers who are physically unable to do their job. Yet, injured workers do have some recourse to recover compensation for these losses.
Workers’ Compensation benefits are available to injured workers on a no-fault basis. This form of insurance is used to cover all medical expenses and a portion of the employee’s wages when they are unable to work. If a third-party is responsible for the scaffolding failure or misuse, the injured worker can also consider bringing a third-party personal injury claim as well. This type of claim is an option when a party other than the employer or the worker built or operated the scaffolding that failed. Compensation from a personal injury claim covers pain and suffering, lost income, and other types of losses beyond those covered by Workers’ Compensation.
Anyone injured in a scaffolding workplace accident should consult with a Wilmington work injury lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow to determine the best legal course of action. Every client receives the time and attention their case deserves. We will review the details of your accident before recommending the next step to recover compensation for your losses. Call us today at 302-427-9500 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we serve clients throughout the state, including Elsmere and Seaford.
Accidents on the job happen more often than you may think. According to the National Safety Council, over 12,000 workers are injured in work-related accidents each day. If you have sustained a workplace injury, you may be eligible for Workers’ Compensation. Most employers are required to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance. Worker’s Compensation provides medical and wage benefits to employees who either sustained an injury or developed a work-related illness. The length of time a person may receive Workers’ Compensation benefits may vary from state to state. You may receive Workers’ Compensation benefits until you are able to return to work.
If you developed a permanent disability, you may also be entitled to permanent disability benefits. Total disability benefits are given to employees who are unable to perform any type of work due to injuries sustained on the job. These injuries include losing a limb, or spinal and head injuries. Delaware also offers scheduled loss benefits for employees who had an amputation or had permanent loss of use of certain body parts. Scheduled loss benefits are given even if you do not miss work if the injury sustained is listed in Delaware’s schedule. If you sustain an injury that is not listed in the states’ schedule, you may receive an unscheduled award.
If an employee dies on the job or due to a work-related illness, their family may receive death benefits. The amount of death benefits varies depending on the number of dependents the deceased employee has, as well as the employee’s marital status. Family members eligible for death benefits include:
The amount of time you must file a claim may vary from state to state. Typically, you have 30 to 45 days to notify your employer of your injury or illness. After giving notice to your employer, it is their responsibility to submit a report to the state’s Workers’ Compensation board. However, in the state of Delaware, you have 90 days to notify your employer that you were injured on the job. You also have two years to file a claim.
Workers’ Compensation laws can be difficult to interpret on your own, but a Bear Workers’ Compensation lawyer at Rhoades & Morrow can help you through the process step by step. For a free consultation, contact us online or call us at 302-834-8484. Located in Wilmington, Bear, and Milford, Delaware, we serve clients throughout the state, including the areas of Elsmere and Seaford.
