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Are You in a Dangerous Job?

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While no job is without risk, there are some jobs that are simply more dangerous than others. These professions may not be the most deadly, but they lead to the most injuries each year—and some of the most worker’s compensation claims. According to the Department of Labor, there are more than 3 million non-fatal workplace injuries each year in the United States. These injuries occur in a variety of sectors, but the following professions endure some increased risk.

  • Health Care Professionals—from hospitals to clinics, health care workers are exposed to risk every day in their jobs. Exposure to illnesses, toxic chemicals, hazardous waste, and workplace violence highlights the list of ways healthcare workers can be injured. In addition, heavy lifting and long-hours contribute to a variety of back and muscle strains and sprains. Nursing home workers have an average illness and injury rate of 8.3%, while hospital workers experience a 7% injury rate.
  • Transportation Workers—Whether you drive a bus or a train or fly a plane, transportation workers experience significant risk on the job. In the trucking industry alone, there are nearly a half million accidents every year. Yet employees working in air transportation face even greater risk of injury—at a rate of 8.1%.
  • Manufacturing Employees—heavy machinery and sharp equipment make manufacturing jobs inherently dangerous. In particular, those who were employed in the beverage and tobacco manufacturing trades faced the greatest risk of injury with a 6.4% injury rate. These injuries can be significant and require long-term disability benefits.
  • Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting—Animal production workers experience a 5.2% injury rate in their jobs, which makes their job at a higher risk for injury than loggers and even fisherman. Yet loggers and fisherman are in the most deadly professions. When an accident occurs in a logging company, they are more severe and usually result in death.
  • Entertainers—Few people would consider this an injury related field, but the entertainment industry incorporates sports players and performing artists. These artists and athletes are at an increased risk for muscle strains, sprains, ligament tears, broken bones, and head injuries.

No matter what your job is, if you are injured while on the job, then you have a right to receive worker’s compensation to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and more. Yet even when you are clearly injured on the job, workers often experience difficulties obtaining this compensation. When this occurs, an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation lawyer may be needed to fight for your employee rights.

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you have been injured on the job and have questions regarding your worker’s compensation, an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation attorney at Phillips Law Firm can help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The workers’ compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington.

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Temporary Workers Face More Dangers on the Job

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Dangerous MachinerySince 2008 when the recession hit, more companies in Washington have turned to hiring temporary employees, as a way of filling their employment needs without making commitments. This trend has made an impact on the job market and the temporary employment industry employs 2.8 million workers. Yet there is a human price to be paid for temporary employment it seems; temporary employees carry a greater risk of being injured on the job.

The reasons may be behind lack of proper training. OSHA files revealed situations where untrained laborers were put in situations where they were injured. Especially in blue-collar temporary work, untrained and unskilled laborers are routinely asked to perform dangerous jobs operating machinery, handling hazardous chemicals, or performing in hostile environments. When they are injured, the temporary employment agency and the company performing the works often quarrel about who is responsible.

Unfortunately, many companies routinely put profits before the safety of their workers and treat temporary workers as “expendable”. Temps are usually working on machines or completing tasks that they have not been properly trained to perform. As such, many temporary workers are injured in the first three months they are hired.

Temporary workers are at risk for electrocution, amputation, lacerations, fractures, severe head and neck injuries and more. The more physical the work is, the higher the injury rate is. A 2010 study of Washington State’s worker’s compensation claims found that temp workers in both construction and manufacturing trades had twice the claims of regular workers. When a temporary worker is injured, the temp agency is supposed to pay the worker’s compensation, but often they delay paying claims while temporary workers suffer.

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you have been injured on the job and have questions regarding your worker’s compensation, an experienced Seattle worker’s compensation attorney at Phillips Law Firm can help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The workers’ compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington.

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The Top 5 Deadliest Jobs in the United States

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Every year Forbes releases its list of the deadliest jobs in America. While all jobs have risks, some jobs can be downright fatal. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries recorded 4,383 fatal work injuries in 2012 alone. Unfortunately, many Seattle workers are currently employed in deadly jobs and take extraordinary risks to support their families. When they are injured or killed, where can they turn?

An experienced and skilled Seattle workers’ compensation lawyer may be needed to help you understand your disability benefits and worker’s compensation benefits to ensure that you receive all the compensation to which you are entitled. If a third-party is responsible for your on-the-job injuries, then we can also help you file a lawsuit against the negligent person.

Top 5 Deadliest Jobs in America

#1 Deadliest Job – Logging Workers

62 loggers are killed nearly every year at a rate of 127.8 per 100,000 full-time loggers. Lumberjacks, also known as loggers, are responsible for harvesting, cutting, and transporting timber across the United States. These workers take extraordinary risks to provide for their families and bring in only $35,149 on average per year.

#2 Deadliest Job – Fisherman and Fisherwomen

if you’ve watch Deadliest Catch on TV, you know just how dangerous this job can be. More than 30 fishermen lose their lives every year in a variety of deadly accidents. This amounts to a rate of 117 per 100,000 full-time workers. In particular, cold-water fishing, such as Alaskan shell fishing, can be more dangerous than others.

#3 Deadliest Job – Airplane Pilots

These are not always the “friendly skies” and every year over 70 pilots and flight engineers are killed on the job. This is an estimated rate of 53.4 per 100,000 full-time workers.

#4 Deadliest Job – Roofers

Working on roofs is a brutal job and exposure to heights and severe summer heat creates dangers for all construction roofing professionals. In 2012, more than 70 roofers died in accidents across the United States. This is a rate of 40.5 per 100,000 full-time workers.

#5 Deadliest Job – Structural Iron and Steel Workers

Iron and steel workers are responsible for molding, setting, and handling metal construction materials on all types of construction projects. Enormous heights combined with handling heavy materials makes this job one of the most deadly. In 2012, 22 iron and steel workers were killed, an average of 37 per 100,000 full-time workers.

Contact Seattle Worker’s Compensation Attorneys

If you have questions about your worker’s compensation benefits or long-term disability benefits after an accident, contact the worker’s compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm. We can help you after a serious on-the-job injury. Call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our worker’s compensation attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.

The worker’s compensation lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Tacoma, Vancouver, Bellevue, Everett, Kent, Auburn, Renton, Federal Way, Bellingham, Marysville, Lakewood, Redmond, Shoreline, and throughout the State of Washington.

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