For some individuals, like the average office worker, their job sites are completely free of dangers -- aside from the threat of a paper cut, slipping on spilt coffee or the tipping back too far in their chairs. While serious accidents and injuries can happen in any office, most would agree that the risks of working in an office are relatively minimal. That said, everyone has a different way of making a living and providing for their families, and some Maryland residents have extremely dangerous jobs.
Take construction workers, for example. These men and women tirelessly expose themselves to the risk of death and catastrophic injury every single day. Some of the most common construction site injuries include falls from ladders, falls from scaffolding, heavy machinery accidents, forklift accidents and crane accidents.
Due to the risks and dangers that construction workers continually face, there are numerous safety rules and regulations that construction companies must follow with regard to their employees. Those include special procedures for maintaining construction sites and machinery. They also include special safety training of employees. Nevertheless, no matter how careful one tries to be, a catastrophic accident can still happen at any time.
This is where workers' compensation comes into play. Workers' compensation is a state-subsidized form of insurance that exists to help workers get back on their feet again following a serious accident and injuries. The best part is that workers' compensation insurance is "no-fault" -- so it does not matter whose fault the accident happens to be. For example, if a worker accidentally falls off some scaffolding because he or she forgot to secure a harness properly, the worker will still be covered under Maryland's workers' compensation system. Similarly, if a worker is hurt due to a dangerous piece of equipment, or because a manager failed to replace a malfunctioning piece of hardware, the worker will also be covered.
At McGowan & Cecil, we believe in our state's workers' compensation system because we have seen it benefit injured workers time and time again. Indeed, when it comes to getting injured on the job in Maryland, our state's workers' compensation system is key to getting the financial support an injured worker needs.
