Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

As more and more jobs become available nationwide, we could see more work injuries being reported by companies who fail to train new hires or employees who are changing from one job industry to another. Illinois workers' compensation attorneys want to remind employees as you begin a new job, make sure you are properly trained so that you can help decrease the possibilities of an accident in the workplace.

The economy has been in a slump for quite some time now. A recent article from U.S. News & World Report indicates the tide may be turning slightly as the unemployment rate fell to 8.6 percent nationwide. This is the lowest the rate has been in nearly three years. Approximately 140,000 jobs were added in November; half of them are considered new jobs offered in the retail and healthcare industries. Common sense tells us much of the credit is due to it being the holiday season and the fact the seasonal jobs can skew the numbers. Several part-time and seasonal workers were hired in November, which can have a direct impact on the unemployment rate. Having said this, we are optimistic that the numbers do mean something and that the American public can finally start getting back on their feet again.

It is no time for companies to become complacent about educating employees about safety precautions or employers making sure they are doing everything in their power to create a safe work environment. All employees have a right to be protected in order to reduce the risk of a work-related accident in Chicago or elsewhere.

We recently posted on our Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog about the dangers of Black Friday crowds and how they can lead to injury when workers aren't trained or protected. Retail companies typically hire extra staff to get them through the holiday blitz. Training seasonal workers for security or crowd management must be a priority or else companies can face premise liability or workers' compensation claims as a result of their negligence.

Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported over 4,500 fatal occupational injuries nationwide. Illinois reported 203 worker deaths in 2010, almost 50 more than the number of occupational deaths reported in our state in 2009.

The most common cause of death at work nationwide in 2010 was from transportation incidents. Illinois reported 72 of the 1,766 fatal occupational injuries caused by transportation incidents. Other common causes of fatal work injuries in Illinois were related to contact with objects, equipment or struck by incidents (39), violent acts and assaults (38) and fall accidents (37).

No matter what field or industry you work in, employers have a responsibility to their workers' safety and well-being while in the workplace.