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What If My Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied?
Workplace accidents happen even when employers and employees act responsibly and take all necessary safety measures. These accidents can cause injuries that range from head trauma to carpal tunnel syndrome to lung disease. Companies in Illinois are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance in the unfortunate event their employees get hurt on the job. If you suffer an injury while performing your occupation, you can file a workers’ compensation claim to receive benefits for medical bills or lost wages. However, it is possible your claim could be denied. If it is denied, you still have options, but they can depend on the reasons for the denial.
Reasons Why a Workers’ Comp Claim Is Denied
There are several reasons your workplace injury claim may be denied. One reason is a delay in filing the claim. It is imperative that you report your injury or illness to your employer immediately. Then you should file a workers’ compensation claim with the state (unless your employer files it). If you miss a deadline, your claim will probably be denied.
What If I Am Injured at a Swimming Pool in Illinois?
During the dog days of summer, many people head to a pool or a beach to swim. Swimming pools are a great way to cool off and exercise in hot weather, but they can also involve risks that lead to accidents and even drowning. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), drowning ranks fifth among the leading causes of unintentional injury death in the United States. These accidents can take place at public or private swimming pools. Other potential injuries suffered at a swimming pool can also have devastating consequences as they can cause paralysis and loss of limbs, for example. In some cases, injuries occur due to negligence of the property by the owner or operator of the pool.
Causes and Types of Swimming Pool Accidents
Injuries at swimming pools can be caused by numerous items, such as improperly installed or faulty equipment. For instance, if a diving board is not securely fastened, it could come loose and hit a person diving or jumping off of it. If a deck or walkway is made of material that does not provide adequate slip resistance, a person could slip and fall and sustain head trauma or even a leg or arm fracture.
Can I Receive Workers’ Compensation if I Am a Landscaper?
Landscaping companies are typically the busiest in the summer months since the weather is ideal for working in the yard. Depending on the size of the yard or property, a lot can be done to enhance a landscape. This can include trimming bushes, cutting the grass, and planting trees or flowers. Riding lawn mowers and trimmers are some of the tools of the trade for a landscaper. Powered equipment such as those can break down or potentially cause an accident. In any type of work environment, even outside, an employee can be at risk for injury. If you are hurt while performing duties at your landscaping job, you might be entitled to benefits through workers’ compensation.
Types and Causes of Injuries
According to the National Safety Council, a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. Injuries in the landscaping field can be related to faulty equipment or machines, improper maintenance, or negligent property owners. Some of these injuries can include:
What If You Are Injured While Working at a Blood Donation Center?
Blood and plasma donors help save lives. Donated blood and plasma are used for a wide variety of life-saving techniques that benefit thousands of people every day. Blood transfusions are needed on a daily basis in hospitals across the country. Plasma is used in the treatment of serious disorders such as hemophilia and immune system deficiencies, and to treat victims of shock and burns. Plasma donation has become popular due to the cash incentive since donors get paid for their donations, typically in the form of VISA gift/debit cards. As with a lot of medical professions, lab technicians at these facilities can injure themselves while performing certain job tasks. If you are hurt working in a blood or plasma donation center, you might be eligible for worker’s compensation benefits.
Job Duties
Lab technicians who work at blood or plasma donation centers screen candidates for their compatibility as donors. The plasma technicians use automated machines that collect the donors' blood, which separates blood components, retains the plasma, and returns the remaining blood components to the donors.
What If a Hospice Social Worker Is Injured on the Job in Illinois?
A hospice social worker is a certified medical social worker (MSW) who has had specific training in end-of-life care. In hospice care, the social worker plays an important role in assisting with a patient’s wishes for care. This may include directives like a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, planning a funeral, suggesting grief counselors, and more. Sometimes the social worker simply provides a listening ear or an expression of sympathy. A hospice social worker’s compassion, support, and knowledge can greatly improve the experience of the patient and his or her family during a very emotional time. But what benefits does a hospice worker receive if they are injured on the job?
Types of Injuries
Many hospice social workers travel to nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living facilities, and even patients’ homes to perform their jobs. They typically use their own vehicles for transportation to and from sites, but this travel time is usually considered part of their workday. Inclement weather can sometimes put them at risk for car accidents due to icy or snowy road conditions, traveling in all kinds of weather, rain or shine. Distracted drivers on the roadway can also cause crashes or rear-end collisions.
Can Whiplash from a Rear-End Collision Have Lasting Effects?
Many rear-end collisions are minor fender-benders that result in little to no vehicle damage and minor, if any, personal injury. However, some back-end accidents are much more severe. In many cases, the sudden, rapid, back-and-forth jolting of the neck during impact causes whiplash. When that occurs, tendons, bones, and muscles of the neck are put under extreme stress, resulting in multiple symptoms that can have lasting, long-term effects. If you are involved in a rear-end collision, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to understand your options for compensation. Note: If you are seriously hurt and need immediate medical assistance, always call 9-1-1 first.
Recognizing the Symptoms of Whiplash
When a rear-end vehicle collision occurs, whiplash symptoms can be intense and immediate. However, in some cases, the severity of symptoms is not immediately felt. Instead, they intensify over the course of hours or days. Frequently, those drivers or passengers rear-ended in a collision decline medical treatment at the scene, but later begin experiencing the full effects of whiplash.
The Dangers of Diesel Exhaust
The first diesel engine patent was issued in the 1890s. Over the decades this combustible engine variant slowly gained in popularity. Its popularity comes from the ability of its fuel-air mixture to produce better energy efficiency than most gasoline engines. It became popular in the 1990s, especially in Europe. Studies showed that it released less CO2 carbon emissions than its gasoline counterparts. Many European countries began encouraging car manufacturers and their citizens to switch over to diesel. However, diesel emits Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) which caused air pollution. By 2014, Paris had pollution near the level of Beijing. This diesel related pollution has created health risks for Parisians living in the city.
The Potential Diesel Health Risks
The diesel engine is a great invention, but like all fossil fuel powered engines it has potential environmental and health risks. Those who work closely with diesel are usually the last to know of risks. Such as the possible relationship between diesel fumes and lung cancer. The American Cancer Society has released lab studies that have found that diesel fumes (like soot) can change the DNA in a cell which could lead to cancer. Others studies have found that there is an increased chance of cancer in individuals who work closest to diesel fumes, such as railroad workers, diesel truck drivers, miners, and heavy equipment operators. While the studies are not conclusive, other agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have also done similar studies, which point to similar conclusions.
Symptoms and Treatments of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
In the past several decades there has been a rise in workplace injuries related to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). In 2010 a study by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 3.1 percent of employed adults suffered from CTS. This injury occurs when the median nerve becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist resulting in numbness, weakness and even pain in the wrist, hand, arm or elbow. Studies have shown that CTS is prevalent among those who work includes repetitive hand movement and is a fairly common office injury. If not treated CTS can become debilitating and lead to nerve damage. Thankfully, there are several treatments and methods to avoid this outcome.
Conventional Non-Surgical Treatments for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
There are many non-surgical options to ease or cure the pain of CTS. Many are simple and can be purchased over the counter.
What to Do After a Car Accident
If you haven’t already, you will likely be in a car accident at some point in your life. Studies have shown that the average driver will have at least one vehicle-related accident once every twenty years. This likelihood increases when the driver regularly engages in bad driving practices such as drunk driving, driving while tired, or while talking on the phone. The likelihood of a car accident also increases based on the age of the driver with teenage drivers having a significantly higher probability than adults. If, or when, you get into a car accident there are five tips you should keep in mind.
Assess the Situation
After you have been in an accident, remain aware of your environment. If you feel that you have been injured then stay in your vehicle. Remain inside until emergency services arrive. If the circumstances demand that you leave your car then do so slowly and careful while remaining aware of your surroundings. Move to a safe location and stay there.
The Stages of Driverless Cars
Driverless cars are the latest buzzword in the tech and car industries. This led the public to believe that soon the road would be filled with 100% autonomous self-driving cars. While many early adopters are excited at this prospect, many drivers are uneasy by this idea. It also creates interesting legal questions regarding who could be at fault for injury if an accident involving a driverless car occurs. Without a doubt, the driverless car could be the future, but it is unlikely that the first models will be entirely autonomous. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has organized the types of driverless cars into six stages based on their level of autonomy.
Stage 0: No Automation
At this stage, the car is entirely dependent on the driver and offers no self-driving features. In other words, most, vehicles on the road today fit into this stage.
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