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Month: January 2018

Did your work make you sick? You could claim certain benefits

Author frederickandhaglePosted on Categories Industrial Workers' Accidents, Workers' Compensation, Workplace InjuriesTags Leave a comment on Did your work make you sick? You could claim certain benefits

Sick at work? Learn about your rights!

When you think about workers’ compensation claims, you might believe that they are only applicable in the instance of workplace injuries. This is not the case, however, and you could be missing out on benefits by laboring under this assumption. If you were made sick by your work, then you might be able to file for financial support. Occupational diseases, in other words, are oftentimes covered under workers’ compensation benefits.

Have you been made ill by your work? Have you been exposed to toxic elements while doing your job? If so, and you have experienced sickness as a result, then you might just have a lawful claim under workers’ compensation. In order to help ensure that your rights are upheld and that you receive the financial aid to which you might be entitled, you should reach out to an attorney experienced in workers’ compensation and workplace law. Taking action now to protect your interests could pay off in the long run, even if it doesn’t seem like it right now.

Let’s take a look at the various ways in which you could become sick while doing your job.

Workplace Illness

While it is true that almost anyone in the workplace could find themselves exposed to harmful things at one point or another while doing their job, it is equally true that certain fields are more dangerous than others. If you work primarily with dangerous chemicals, for example, then you might often find yourself exposed to toxic elements. The same can be said of individuals working in the medical field, or even on construction sites, although the hazards you encounter might not be the same in each career. Some occupational illnesses that can occur as a result of being exposed to toxic elements while working include:

  • Hearing loss. This includes complete as well as partial loss of hearing ability.
  • Respiratory illnesses. These include things like silicosis, asthma, reactive airway disease, and acute congestion.
  • Skin disorders. Skin disorders include things like dermatitis, eczema, and ulcers.
  • Note that this includes lead and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Keep in mind that toxic exposure can occur in a wide variety of ways. Touching something might lead to skin problems, for example, and breathing in a toxic element could lead to respiratory problems. In certain cases, these elements might even eventually cause a more serious illnesses months or years after your first exposure. Regardless of the way that you were exposed to toxic materials, you might have the right to seek benefits to help compensate you for this loss of health.

Common Forms of Compensation

You might be wondering exactly what you can expect to collect if you were to file a successful workers’ compensation claim. At the very least, you are likely concerned about mounting medical bills and loss wages. Filing a claim can help get you the care you need to regain your health and get back to the workforce.

If your claim is found to be valid, you might be able to recover compensation for your medical care, some portion of lost wages, and perhaps rehabilitation needs. Protect your ability to seek those benefits by acting quickly!

For expert help regarding workers’ compensation claims, reach out to the experienced attorneys at Frederick & Hagle, Attorneys at Law. We can help ensure that you receive the compensation you need to feel better. Contact us today for a free consultation at 800.642.1227!

Distracted Driving: The Dangers Driving and Texting

Author frederickandhaglePosted on Categories Car AccidentsLeave a comment on Distracted Driving: The Dangers Driving and Texting

Driving is a serious responsibility that should not be taken lightly – and, when that responsibility is shirked, the responses can be devastating. This is one of the reasons why distracted driving is such a serious problem. Defined by the CDC as driving while engaging in any manual, cognitive, or visual activity that proves a distraction. To put it a bit more simply, distracted driving means doing anything that takes your mind or eyes off of the road or your hands from the steering wheel. Some more concrete examples of distracted driving include:

  • Eating
  • Talking on the Phone
  • Looking for Directions on the Phone
  • Texting
  • Applying Makeup
  • Talking to a Passenger
  • Looking for Something in the Glove Box

Out of the above, which is by no means an exhaustive list, perhaps the most serious issue is texting. Texting is an activity that initially seems fairly harmless. This is especially true if you are only responding to a “short” text. It is important to understand, however, that regardless of the length of time you spend texting, your eyes, hands, and mind are all removed from driving in the process.

What are the results of texting and other forms of distracted driving? Well, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2015 alone 3,477 people driving while distracted ended up in a fatal accident or situation. Additionally, 67% of those victims were between the ages of 16 and 19.

Leading Cause of Death for Adolescents

According to numbers released by Allstate Insurance, one in two drivers said that they texted and drove. This comes from a poll conducted over three years (2013-2016) with 7,600 participants. Of those respondents, 76% also stated that they had either below average or average knowledge regarding the dangers of texting and driving. It should also be noted that as many as 66% of respondents also admitted to talking on the phone while driving. And while the majority of drivers surveyed admitted to distracted driving habits, even more actively disapprove of them, according to a poll funded by ATT: 95% of drivers surveyed disapproved of driving while distracted, but 71% of them also admitted to using smartphones while driving.

Why go into all of this? Well, distracted driving happens to be the leading cause of death for adolescents from the ages of 16 and 19. With so many people losing their lives at such a young age, it is important to really understand just how common distracted driving is, and how big the draw can be. Even amongst individuals who disapprove of it in theory, many of them are engaging in distracted driving behaviors.

In order to combat these distressing facts, let’s take a look at some risk factors that actually increase the risk of teen fatalities.

  • Tailgating and Speeding
  • Failing to Understand the Dangers of Driving
  • Failing to Accurately Identify Dangerous Situations
  • Not Wearing a Seat Belt
  • Weekend Drives
  • Drinking and Driving

It is important to keep the above in mind and make sure that your loved ones, of any age, understand the risk factors. This is perhaps especially true as, according to a Bloomberg study released in 2017, car accident fatalities are actually on the rise. It is suspected that the main cause of this is an increased rate of use of smartphones while driving.

Have you been injured while driving thanks to the distracted driving of another? The attorneys of Frederick & Hagle can help! Contact us today for a free consultation at 800.642.1227.