According to a study issued by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2017, heavy truck and tractor trailer drivers were involved in 475 fatal accidents in the previous year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this occupation has the highest number of workplace deaths of any.
This is why it is so important for truck drivers to know what their employer should be doing to keep them save – and how to file for workers’ compensation if they are injured on the job. Keep reading to learn more about this topic and contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 if you need help from an employment lawyer.
These Stats Are Not Surprising to Truck Drivers
Many individuals, particularly truck drivers, are probably not surprised that there are so many occupational injuries and fatalities. After all, their profession demands them to be on the road for multiple days a week for several hours at a time.
For many drivers, driving thousands of miles each year in all sorts of weather and on roads that may or may not be properly maintained poses a significant danger. Transportation-related events are the primary cause of fatal workplace injuries, accounting for 26 percent of all fatal workplace injuries. A semi-truck, a tanker truck, or a tractor trailer were involved in nearly half of all deadly transportation events on the job.
These figures are concerning, and rightly so. Every day, truck drivers put their lives on the line to carry goods throughout the country, and they risk being involved in major or even fatal accidents. They are also in danger when loading and unloading trucks, since things may fall off the truck, or a driver may simply fall while unloading or servicing the truck.
Options for Truck Drivers Injured on the Job
So, if a truck driver gets wounded on the job, what are his or her options? If a truck driver is wounded in an accident and suffers injuries, he or she will almost certainly be able to make a workers’ compensation claim. While many businesses try to designate truck drivers as independent contractors to avoid accountability for such claims, an expert workers’ compensation attorney can frequently establish that the driver was an employee who was entitled benefits under the workers’ compensation system.
Motor vehicle accidents are the most common cause of injuries, but they can also happen from a number of other causes, such as falling or repetitive motion. If you feel you have been hurt or gotten ill as a result of your employment as a truck driver, you should speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer right once to discuss your possibilities.
If the accident was caused by the negligence of another motorist, you may be able to file a third-party case against the driver of that automobile or truck in addition to the workers’ compensation system. His or her insurance company may be responsible for your injuries; your workers’ compensation attorney should explore this possibility with you in detail.
To learn more, and get advice from an attorney, contact PLBH at (800) 435-7542 today.