You may not give much thought to workers’ compensation until you need it. If you are hurt in a workplace accident or suffer an occupational illness, there is a very good chance you will be entitled to benefits under workers’ compensation, which is a type of insurance carried by employers to compensate workers who are hurt on the job. [Read more…]
N.Y. Construction Accident Victims May Get More than Workers’ Comp
If you work in construction, you face risks that most New Yorkers never do. Your job is inherently dangerous. As such, there are laws specifically designed to protect you from harm and give you access to redress when an accident happens. [Read more…]
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Reduce Disability Insurance Benefits
By Robert J. Osborne, Esq.
Under the Social Security Act, the Social Security Administration can reduce your monthly disability insurance benefit if you are under age 65 and also entitled to workers’ compensation, due to a total or partial disability. [Read more…]
Benefits on the Water
By: Ronald J. Morgan, Esq.
No one would say that working the docks in North Jersey is a job for the weak or faint of heart. However, even the strongest men get injured. When these “longshoremen” are hurt on the job, they do not receive the typical benefits other laborers do under the New Jersey Worker’s Compensation regime. Given that they do not have a usual, stationary, work environment, Federal Law ensures that they receive their entitled no-fault benefits. Under the Federal Jones Act, these benefits are known as maintenance and cure. [Read more…]
Maintaining Workplace Safety Through OSHA
OSHA, or the Occupational Health and Safety Act, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970. Its main goal is to ensure that employers provide employees with an environment free from recognized hazards, such as exposure to toxic chemicals, excessive noise levels, mechanical dangers, heat or cold stress, or unsanitary conditions. Since its implementation, OSHA has been pivotal in maintaining worker safety at construction sites all over the country. [Read more…]
Injured At Work? It’s Not Your Fault
If you are injured at work, typically you receive benefits and compensation through your employer’s worker’s compensation insurance. However, at times, you may have an additional claim, particularly if you work on a machine or at a construction site. In these cases, your employer or another entity may attempt to dissuade you from bringing a further cause of action and may allege that you were injured due to your own behavior. In such situations, it is important to know that often times, your injury is not your fault. [Read more…]
Ground Zero Workers Still Suffering: Who’s Responsible?
It’s been more than 12 years since our nation was forever changed by the attack on the World Trade Center. For many people, the memories of that day are still clear. For some, it’s because they lost a loved one. For others, it’s because they were on the ground in the hours, days, and weeks following. Some of these men and women are not only dealing with the mental effects of the rescue, recovery, and clean-up efforts, but they are dealing with physical illness and injury, too. [Read more…]
Worker Terminated for Filing Safety Complaint, Employer Ordered to Pay
When you work under unsafe conditions, you have a right to speak up. You shouldn’t have to keep quiet for fear of losing your job or facing other forms of retribution. But this isn’t only about doing what’s right. It’s also about doing what the law requires. Legally, your employer cannot punish you for making valid complaints about the safety of your workplace. [Read more…]
Conference Marks New York Construction Safety Week
Starting April 29 2013, experts in the construction industry will kick off New York Construction Safety Week with the 2013 “Build Safe/Live Safe” conference at the New York Marriott Downtown in Lower Manhattan. [Read more…]
Construction Accounts for Large Share of Workplace Deaths
Two construction workers at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., suffered non-life-threatening injuries recently when a wall collapsed on them, YNN reported. The workers were taking down a curtain wall, which generally contains a building’s insulation and steel support beams. The two were stranded for 20 minutes before rescue workers were able to extricate them. [Read more…]