In Minnesota, home of the Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, and UnitedHealth, health care is big business. Yet, health care settings are not usually thought of as dangerous places to work – at least not from the perspective of those outside the industry. Surprisingly though, if you work in the industry, you are at greater risk for a workplace injury than people employed in construction or manufacturing, which are typically considered more hazardous.
Data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the most common forms of injury occur in settings like a hospital or nursing home. Even workers who specialize in home health care are at risk for injury. Lifting and back-related injuries are prevalent in health care. One risk that is heightened for health workers, in particular, is that of contracting an illness or disease in the workplace. Viruses, bacteria, and infections are common and can easily be passed from a patient, an unclean surface, or a coworker.
If you were injured or contracted an illness while on the job at your place of work, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation can help to offset the costs of medical treatment for the injury or sickness, as well as for any lost wages due to an inability to work or work to the same level. Filing a claim a for workers’ compensation, however, is different from a lawsuit.
Workers’ compensation operates under its own set of laws, rules, and processes. An seasoned attorney can help you work through the process of filing a claims process, getting the necessary medical records, and if necessary, appealing any findings. Visit our firm’s dedicated workers’ compensation page to learn more about how we can help you.