construction worker

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a part of the United States Department of Labor that sets forth guidelines to ensure that employees are experiencing safe and healthy working conditions. Evidently, when an employer commits an OSHA violation, employees are likely to suffer serious injuries and damages. Continue reading to learn what you should do if you incur an injury due to an OSHA violation and how one of the experienced Middlesex County workplace accident attorneys at Stathis & Leonardis, LLC can take you step by step.

How might an employer violate OSHA?

An employer must not disregard OSHA requirements, as doing so may lead to any one of the following accidents:

  • Accidents due to a failure to use proper fall systems.
  • Accidents due to a failure to communicate hazard warnings.
  • Accidents due to a failure to provide respiratory, eye, and face protection.
  • Accidents due to a failure to provide secure scaffolds and ladders.
  • Accidents due to a failure to provide training on operating industrial trucks and power equipment.

What should I do if I incurred an injury due to an OSHA violation?

The most severe injuries that are associated with OSHA violations include, but are not limited to, blindness, broken bones, skull fractures, spinal injuries, and even death. As you can see, these are life-altering injuries that are difficult to recover from.

So, if you incurred an injury due to an OSHA violation, you must first report the incident to OSHA. The administration will then be prompted to investigate the hazardous conditions in your workplace. Though they cannot shut your employer down, they may penalize your employer with hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

Next, you must report the incident to your employer. More specifically, you must notify your employer within 14 days of your accident. All the while, you must abide by the treatment plan set forth by your physician.

Then, you may bring forward your workers’ compensation claim. With your claim, you may argue that your employer’s negligence directly resulted in you being injured on the job. You may ask for financial compensation that will cover your required treatments and rehabilitation until you can return to work. More specifically, you must file your claim within two years from the date of your accident.

If you are ready to pursue this legal route, then reach out to a skilled Middlesex County personal injury attorney today. We look forward to hearing from you.