Who Is Most Likely To Be Injured On The Job?

A recent article analyzed data for work-related injuries and concluded that workers 45 and older are roughly two and a half times more likely to sustain a fatal work injury. As compared to data from 2013, fatal work injuries for workers 55 and older rose 9% in 2014. This same article also looked at data for the specific types of jobs that most likely to result in injury or death. Not surprisingly, it concluded that blue collar workers are most at risk. Construction workers had the highest number of fatal injuries, while workers in the agriculture/forestry/fishing/hunting industry had the highest death rate per 100,000 workers.

An on-the-job injury can have devastating consequences. In Georgia, an injured worker generally cannot sue their employer for a work-related injury because workers’ compensation provides the exclusive remedy. Unfortunately, workers’ compensation benefits do not fully compensate injured workers. First of all, the wage benefits are not the dollar for dollar equivalent of what the injured worker was earning. Second, pain and suffering damages are not available in a workers’ compensation case.

Although an injured worker generally cannot sue his or her employer for negligently causing an injury, Georgia law does allow workers to sue negligent third parties that are responsible for an injury. Whether an injured worker in Georgia has a third-party claim for a work injury requires a very fact specific analysis from an experienced personal injury attorney. The lawyers at The Champion Firm, P.C., have experience helping injured workers recover damages from negligent third-parties. If you have been injured on the job, call the Atlanta personal injury attorneys at The Champion Firm, P.C., for a free consultation.