Most people know that they are at some risk when they enter their workplaces. In many cases, individuals understand that there is some risk in completing their jobs. However, people also expect that this risk will be mitigated by their employers. People want to believe that their employers are following safety regulations, providing proper training, supplying safety equipment and more to reduce the chance of serious workplace injuries.
According to data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many employees may be right about their chances of getting hurt in the workplace. According to data from 2014, there were 54,000 less non-fatal injuries and illnesses in workplaces throughout the United States in 2014 compared to 2013. This decrease may suggest that workers are safer than ever in their workplaces.
However, there were still many private industry accidents that year. In fact, around three million people were injured or made sick at work in 2014. Of these three million people, 2.8 million — or 95.1 percent — of these individuals suffered workplace injuries. Of these people injured, more than 50 percent of them had to miss work, apply for a job transfer or had some work restriction because of the workplace injury.
These statistics show that many people are still not safe at work. For individuals in New York, workers’ compensation may be available to help injured workers. Workers’ compensation benefits can help to give people the compensation they need when they miss work because of a workplace injury.
A workplace accident can be very expensive for a worker. A person may be out of work for several days or even weeks as the person tries to recover. Workers’ compensation can fill in the gaps when people take time away from work. It can also help pay for medical expenses, lost wages and other expenses related to recovering from the accident.
However, just because a worker deserves workers’ compensation, does not mean it is easy to get. Individuals may need to consult with an attorney in order to obtain workers’ compensation benefits in New York.