On Behalf of Simon & Gilman, LLP | Feb 1, 2019 | Firm News
A new study published by the workers’ compensation insurer MEMIC Group captures how cold temperatures and snow appear to have an adverse effect on the number of injuries that employees are suffering.
Data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that in 2014, as many as 42,480 workers suffered slip and fall injuries on icy or snowy surfaces in New York and around the country. All of them had to miss at least a day of work to convalesce.
Researchers with MEMIC found that while icy and snowy surfaces are dangerous for workers, they’re most apt to get injured when winter weather changes quickly from rain to sleet to ice and then snow.
The types of injuries that the insurer sees that result from workers having winter weather slips and falls greatly vary.
One of their lead researchers notes that it greatly depends on how the worker ultimately falls. They’ve seen cases in which some fell backward on ice and struck their heads on the pavement. Cases like these might result in long term brain damage. With others, they successfully braced their fall and ended up with nothing more than bruises or cuts.
Costs associated with the filing of claims related to winter working injuries vary as well.
A Queens worker who has minor cuts or bruises may end up missing a few days of work, or be left with medical bills that total a few hundred dollars. One who fractures their pelvis may require surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation and more significant time off work resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills. A worker who becomes a paraplegic needs long term care and will be unable to work again. They may demand millions.
If you’ve been injured at work, you may want to seek representation from a personal injury attorney. That way you’ll have an experienced legal professional who can advise you and protect your legal interests.
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