All New York employees have the potential to suffer from a workplace accident — governmental employees are no different. Government employees — such as police officers, firefighters and postal workers — all take risks on the job to complete their work. While some jobs are more dangerous than others, the potential for a workplace accident exists at any time.
Postal workers, for example, work with the public. They are often found on busy streets, in neighborhoods and around homes and businesses. A variety of hazards can crop up at any of these locations. There are also concerns with road conditions and weather conditions that could lead to on the job injuries for postal workers.
One threat in particular is from dogs. While dog owners may try to keep their animals under control, accidents frequently occur. When a dog lashes out at a person, the damage can be severe. According to recent data, 4.5 million people are in injured by dog bites each year in the United States — New York saw the second highest number of attacks. Of these injured people, 5,581 of them are postal workers. In addition to dog bites, postal workers can also suffer injuries as a result of being knocked down by a dog, by dog scratches and more.
When government workers are injured on the job they need to know their legal options. Workplace accidents can often lead to costly injuries that take time to heal. Workers can suffer lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitation costs and other expenses as a result of the workplace injuries.
In these cases, workers’ compensation may be available to government employees. Workers’ compensation will help cover these costs so that the worker is not financially ruined by a workplace accident. However, in order to be approved for workers’ compensation certain documentation may be required.
Source: HNGN, “New York Places Behind California In Dog Bites, Attacks,” Rebeka Silva, May 17, 2014