Boston, Mass Workers' Compensation Blog

Some work injuries are immediately devastating, while others ultimately impair individuals over time. Repetitive stress conditions like carpal tunnel injuries may not seem as immediately debilitating as having one's hand crushed in machinery, but over time the severity of certain carpal tunnel symptoms can lead to many of the same pains and restrictions that a crush injury patient may face.

In an ideal world, workers would always be able to avoid developing carpal tunnel injuries. And there are several tips you can keep in mind to prevent this condition if you have not already become symptomatic. For instance, practicing good posture while working with your feet flat on the ground can help your body support itself in ways that help to prevent carpal tunnel and other repetitive stress injuries.

Late last year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) instituted a policy change that will directly benefit Americans who suffer from debilitating illnesses and physical conditions. The SSA opted to expand its compassionate allowance program to include 200 additional diagnoses.

The Social Security Disability process can be challenging to navigate. The process can take a great deal of time, paperwork and very frequently requires the filing of appeals for initially denied claims. Individuals suffering from certain physical conditions cannot afford the time it takes to navigate the ordinary Social Security disability (SSD) process.

The flu has reached epidemic proportions in various locations throughout the nation this winter. It has caused death, suffering and an astonishing number of work days lost for employees in every sector. The spread of the flu has also inspired an understandable yet hazardous kind of behavior in workers: showing up to work despite being sick.

A staggering number of preventable workplace accidents occur each year due to the physical compromises that occur when ill or injured employees attempt to work through their conditions. When workers are ill, they have slower reaction times, can be easily distracted, are often fatigued and can lose their balance with more frequency.

Each employee, regardless of occupation, faces unique work hazards. Construction workers risk falls, while nurses risk needle sticks. Office workers frequently develop carpal tunnel, while zoo workers risk animal bites. In the case of workers who frequently travel for their jobs, the hazards are not unlike those faced by truckers who spend prolonged hours in the cabs of their massive vehicles.

Though work illnesses and injuries faced by traveling employees are not those usually associated with obtaining workers' compensation benefits, every situation is unique. Should chronic illness or debilitating injury occur while traveling or as a result of it, traveling employees may be able to make a claim for benefits.

When tragedy strikes, it can be easy to get swept up in the devastation until the worst has passed. At that point, when the telethons have all been broadcast and the news cycle moves on to other stories, reconstruction efforts can get overlooked in the media and in the minds of the general public.

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, it is critical for the media, the public and those directly affected to focus on reconstruction efforts in a safe and conscious way. Even without the unique hazards posed by devastated areas, construction accidents already claim the lives and well-being of too many American workers. As the eastern seaboard seeks to rebuild, the safety of the workers rebuilding community after community must be highly prioritized.

Football season means tailgating, sporting the jerseys worn by your favorite teams and water cooler chat the day after the biggest games. However, as Americans are increasingly aware, football season also means brain and other physical injuries to players. As a result of significant injuries, players are claiming workers' compensation benefits for harm sustained on the field. This has put the NFL in a difficult financial situation because the claims will eventually cost millions of dollars.

Playing football poses potential dangers to the players because the game requires physical contact. Severe injures may be sustained by the players, such as back injuries, head trauma and cumulative trauma. Long-term head trauma is the most common football injury and it may require a long time to heal.

The most dangerous jobs in America may surprise you. According to a new study completed by the workplace safety education company eTrain Today, the deadliest jobs in America involve driving. The study also found that 92 percent of workplace fatalities are suffered by men and workers 65 and older have the highest work fatality risk.

While many believe that fishing and logging jobs are the most dangerous, the study highlights the dangers driving poses to many workers. Truck drivers, sales representatives and other workers who consistently drive have the highest risk of dying on the job with 39 percent of work-related fatalities occurring during "transportation incidents." These types of workers accounted for 683 fatalities in 2010.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) continues to push a very specific message: "OSHA doesn't kill jobs; it helps prevent jobs from killing workers." According to a recent study published in the journal Science, this statement may indeed be true. OSHA's random worksite inspections have saved billions of dollars for employers in workers' compensation costs, while reducing employee injury and death."

The study further states that there is no evidence that the savings come "at the expense of employment, sales, credit ratings or firm survival." This conclusion strongly supports OSHA's claims that its practice of random inspections not only prevents job loss but make the workplace safer for employees.

Summer is here, and hot temperatures are gripping cities all along the East Coast.

Hot weather can be uncomfortable and inconvenient no matter who you are. However, if you work outside, heat is more than a simple bother - it is a serious danger that could cause illness or even death.

Outdoor workers - especially construction workers, road crews, landscapers and others who engage in strenuous physical activity - are at high risk for developing heat exhaustion. If not addressed quickly, heat exhaustion can turn into fatal heat stroke. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 30 workers die from heat stroke every year.