Dangerous Occupations Result In Work-Related Injuries
Most employee injuries and fatalities occur in a relatively small number of industries, ranging from logging, transportation, construction, building painters, commercial airline pilots, grounds maintenance crews and tree trimmers, welders, taxi drivers, heavy truck operators, police officers, farm workers, and power line and telecommunications line installers. Amazon warehouse jobs have also been listed on the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s “dirty dozen” list of the most dangerous places to work in the United States.
According to the California Department of Industrial Relations, more than 350 California workers die from work-related injuries yearly with another approximately half-million on-the-job injuries.
As An Injured Employee, You Have Legal Rights To Medical Care, Disability Wages And Other Monetary Benefits
With all the hazards of these industries and many other dangerous and injurious occupations, when you’ve been hurt in the workplace you have legal rights to receive employer-paid medical care, disability wages, and other monetary benefits.
Attorney Brian Freeman respectfully and vigilantly fights for employee workers’ compensation benefits in Riverside, Corona, and the Inland Empire
What Are California’s Most Dangerous Jobs?
Logging And Forestry Workers
The incidents of logging related accidents and injuries is 40% higher than anywhere else in the country. The death rate among loggers is 165.7 in 100,000 workers. A logger is subjected to long hours, extremely strenuous work, and hazardous work conditions in remote locations with limited access to medical services.
Commercial Airline Pilots And Flight Engineers
With a death rate of 46 among 100,00 workers, this occupation is high on the dangerous occupation list.
For non-fatal injuries, the responsibility of safety for hundreds of passengers can lead to:
- Stress-related medical issues
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Dehydration
- High rates of skin cancer
Truck Drivers
A highly dangerous occupation with a death rate of 42 per 100,000 workers primarily from collisions.
Truck drivers are also subject to various illnesses and injuries, including:
- Overexertion and “bodily reaction”
- Falls, slips and trips
- Injurious contact with equipment
Unsafe vehicles also contribute to accidents in the transportation industry.
Construction Workers And Forepersons
Over 23 construction laborers die per 100,000 workers with 75% receiving serious injuries.
Construction workers are commonly injured in:
- Rooftop falls
- Strikes by heavy equipment
- Electrocutions
- Exposure to silica dust and asbestos
- Unguarded equipment
With a high rate of fatalities (14 in 100,000 workers), construction forepersons die and are injured by:
- Falling objects
- Slips
- Falls from heights
- Electrocutions
- Equipment crushing injuries
In 2017, one out of every five work-related fatalities in the United States were related to the construction industry.
Taxi Drivers
Fatalities from crashes, being hit by motorists, or homicide account for 16 in 100,000 workers’ deaths. With high incidents of injuries from vehicle collisions, and injuries associated with sitting for long periods, it is one of California’s highly dangerous and unhealthy occupations.
Welders
With exposure to toxic chemicals and welding fumes such as benzene leading to fatal lung, larynx, urinary tract, and kidney cancer, this occupation causes a death rate of 16 welders in 100,000 workers.
Injuries suffered by welders may include:
- Metal “fume fever”
- Stomach ulcers
- Kidney and nervous system damage
Exposure to welding gases that displace air oxygen – helium, argon, and carbon dioxide – can cause suffocation and serious asphyxiation.
Grounds Maintenance Workers And Tree Trimmers
Grounds maintenance workers and tree trimmers have a fatality rate that is more than three times higher than the average U.S. worker according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, with 14 fatalities among 100,000 workers.
Non-fatal injuries are commonly caused by:
- Tree branches
- Being caught in wood chippers
- Contact with cutting tools
- Ladders
- Lifting devices
- Machinery
- Heat stress
Building Painters
The death rate among structural painters is 13 in 100,000 workers.
Painters can suffer a number of serious injuries, such as:
- Dermatitis from exposure to toxic paint products
- Lung and other organ damage from exposure to lead-based paint or asbestos
- Back injuries from incorrect lifting
- Falls from ladders
Farm And Agricultural Workers
Agriculture ranks third among California industries reporting nonfatal injuries and illnesses.
The most common causes of farm worker injuries and fatalities include:
- Heat exhaustion
- Pesticide exposure
- Being struck by equipment, vehicles, and other objects
- Use of shears, slitters, and slicers
- Skids and pallets
- Contract with branches and vines
Police Officers
The total number of police officer fatalities are 1,642, with the highest number of deaths being caused by gunfire and automobile collisions. In total, the death rate of police officers is 11 per 100,000 workers.
Common injuries suffered by police officers include:
- Assaults by suspects
- Non-violent injuries from repetitive movements and habits
- Back, joint, and muscle injuries from chasing suspects
Power Line And Telecommunications Line Installers
Besides the 10 in 100,000 workers killed by electrocution, power line workers can suffer a number of other injuries.
These injuries include:
- Electrical burns
- Contact with “hot” wires
- Falls
- Strangulation
- Mechanical trauma
Because this line of work often requires repetitive motions, less serious but potentially debilitating injuries include damage to muscles, tendons, and ligaments that impair movement and cause pain.
We Fight For Injured Workers’ Rights
If you were injured in one of these dangerous occupations, you have a right to pursue necessary medical care, tax-free disability wages, and monetary compensation for certain other qualifying losses. But the workers’ compensation system is complicated and deadline-specific. Most injured employees find maneuvering through a claim too confusing and restrictive to handle on their own.
For those hurt on-the-job who need and want help with their injury claim, attorney Brian W. Freeman will work vigorously and passionately for your rights. Along with attorney Freeman, his Workers' Compensation Lawyer, Inc., legal team will support you through what can be a stressful and arduous process.
Our Attorneys Will Work To Get You The Benefits You Need
For over a decade, attorney Brian W. Freeman has worked diligently to win medical care and major monetary settlements for California’s injured people. The legal team at Workers' Compensation Lawyer, Inc., is dedicated to passionately fighting for the rights of injured workers throughout Riverside, Corona, and the Inland Empire. As your attorney, Brian W. Freeman will compassionately guide you through the workers’ compensation process, filing a claim, pursuing medical care, disability wages, vocational rehabilitation, or, if warranted, gaining your job back.
As the founder of Workers' Compensation Lawyer, Inc., attorney Freeman has fought diligently to secure employees’ temporary disability (two-thirds of their usual wages, tax-free), medical treatment, and permanent disability benefits. A passionate protector of the rights of California workers, he is dedicated to “fighting for the average Joe.®”
At Workers' Compensation Lawyer, Inc., we not only have the resources and staff to give your unique case the attention it requires, but we are also genuinely concerned about our clients’ overall well-being. As an injured employee in Riverside, Corona, and the Inland Empire, you need an advocate who cares about your medical and economic health and will diligently battle on your behalf.
Call 800-496-0563 or email us today for help with your workers’ compensation case.