No matter what specific role he or she fills, every factory worker has important duties to perform in order to keep his or her employer’s business running smoothly and profitably. Unfortunately, even with numerous advancements in production technology and safety standards, injuries are still commonplace for factory workers, especially if they work with heavy machinery or do not receive appropriate training for their position.
If you got hurt on the job while working inside or around a factory, a Johnstown factory worker injuries lawyer could be a crucial ally to assist you. While your employer’s workers’ compensation coverage should provide you with compensation for medical expenses and certain other economic losses, actually obtaining the benefits you are entitled to can be challenging without a qualified Johnstown workplace accident attorney’s help.
Causes of factory worker injuries throughout Pennsylvania range from minimal to catastrophic. On the less traumatic end of the spectrum, it is common for workers in cluttered or unsanitary facilities to slip or trip and sustain an injury that keeps them out of work for days or weeks at a time. Likewise, overexertion and repetitive motions can result in muscle tears and other chronic conditions that could impact a worker’s ability to safely perform his or her job.
On the other hand, some factory accidents are much more dangerous and result in more serious injuries to a greater number of workers at once. Depending on the circumstances, negligence by a factory owner, supervisor, or even an individual employer could result in a machinery malfunction, equipment jam, motor vehicle or forklift collision, or a fire or explosion that shuts down production and results in numerous physical injuries.
Any injury caused by a factory accident that requires professional medical care could justify financial recovery for the injured worker, including:
A dedicated Johnstown accident attorney could work tenaciously on an injured factory worker’s behalf to ensure he or she gets the compensation he or she deserves for any form of harm which occurred on a worksite.
The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act requires employees who get hurt on the job to file a written report about the accident in question with their employers within 21 days of discovering their injuries and no more than 120 days after the incident actually occurred. Following that, the injured worker has three years to file a workers’ compensation claim and begin pursuing benefits.
If an accident in a factory stems from negligence by a third party, such as an equipment manufacturer or a contractor, an injured worker may have grounds to file a third-party lawsuit directly against that negligent party and demand compensation for a wider range of damages. As a factory worker injuries lawyer in Johnstown could explain, a two-year statutory filing deadline applies to claims like this, in accordance with 42 P.S. §5524.
Compared to people who work in most other industries, factory workers have a particularly high risk of being catastrophically injured in a workplace accident. Fortunately, you may have multiple options for seeking financial recovery for your injuries depending on exactly what led to your accident happening in the first place.
A capable Johnstown factory worker injuries lawyer could explain your options and offer guidance about next steps over the course of an initial consultation. Call Marcus & Mack today to set up yours.
