law

What To Do If You’ve Had a Workplace Accident

Angela Manning Finance ,
What To Do If You’ve Had a Workplace Accident

Every year, workers all across America have an accident in the workplace. While some of the accidents only result in minor injuries, others can potentially result in life-changing injuries. However, it’s not always clear what you should do if you’ve been involved in a workplace accident. The good news is this article can help you.

Deal With Your Injuries First

One of the first things you need to do is get your injuries treated. You should do this before you do anything else. Once you have received the appropriate care on the day of your accident make sure that you get a copy of your medical notes. This is to ensure that you have evidence of your medical treatment.

Report The Accident

Once you have received medical treatment the next step is for you to report the accident. Report it to your employer within 24-48 hours if it’s possible. This will ensure your employer has a record of your accident.

Take Photographs

If you need to, take photographs of your injuries, and the area where you had the accident. Also, consider getting video evidence if you can. If you are unable to take photographs ask someone you trust to do this. This is so you can show the evidence to an injury lawyer.

If your injury is not too bad, you might be able to take photographs of your injuries before you receive medical treatment. However, this is only suitable if you are not bleeding or your injuries are not very serious.

Make a Note of Your Symptoms

Once you have received medical treatment you need to make a note of your symptoms. This is so you can show your lawyer and the court that you’re still suffering. Make a note every day and describe how bad your symptoms are. You don’t have to go into a lot of detail  you can simply write down your pain level out of 10. in addition to this, you will need to mention where the pain, for example, is and how it’s limiting you.

Take Action

If you haven’t done so already, take action. Hire a lawyer to represent you if you wish to make a claim. This will ensure that you’re much more likely to receive the compensation you’re entitled to. It will also tell your employer that you’re serious and this could cause them to make the workplace safer.

Document Your Losses

How much time have you had off work? How much money have you lost because you’ve not been working? How much have you spent traveling to your medical appointments? Document all of your losses so your injury lawyer can show the court. These notes will ensure you’re much more likely to receive compensation. Don’t forget to add any future losses if you need on-going treatment or you’re not going back to work any time soon. All of this will also help the court to take your injury case much more seriously.

Drug Violations

Angela Manning Finance , , , ,
Drug Violations

The ability of the modern world to keep lots of statistics leads to research that was not easily possible in the past.  One statistic that is always followed is crime.  However, with modern data, many interesting facts about felonies are possible to investigate.  A limited review of the data shows the most common felonies involve burglary, drug violations and theft.

States With the Most Felonies

The state that has the most people guilty of felonies is Texas.  Texas is the second most populous state in the union, although many parts of it are empty desert.  Next in line is Wisconsin. Wisconsin ranking 20th in population, is second.  Third is North Carolina, 29th in population, followed by Oregon, and Connecticut.

Clearly, felonies are being committed more in states with lower populations.  Texas seems to be a bit of an exception, but like the other top 5 states, all states have in common a shore area and large areas of the state with small numbers of populations.

A writer for Vox, Matthew Iglesias, who writes on politics and crime, figures that the more populated areas such as California and New York have many more police officers per person.  Plus, there are more people around to observe the commission of a crime.

Generational Groups and Felonies

In any case, if you look at felons by generation, Generation Y commits the most felonies.  In second place is Generation X, closely behind Generation Y.  In a few states, Generation X beats out generation Y.  A review of generations starting in the 1950s shows that felonies rapidly increased for both these Generations.  Generation Z has a felony rate that has fallen substantially from Generation Y.  In fact, Generation X and Y are responsible for the commission of 70% of all felonies.  The next group, Generation Z, shows a large reduction in felonies.  Perhaps this is due to changes in drug laws.

Felonies and Age Groups

Felonies occur in all age groups.  As one might expect, they decrease with advancing age.   Which ages are most likely to commit felonies?  It turns out that age 20 is a bad year for felonies.  They peak at age 20 and decline thereafter.  Persons of 19 years of age commit nearly as many felonies as 20 year olds.  After age 20, felonies maintain their decline through all age groups.

To find out more about generational felony statistics  visit a company that collects data on crimes.  Using this data, one can find out even more about the effects of generational crime.

6 Steps Every Business Must Take to Protect Against Personal Injury Lawsuits

Angela Manning Business , , , , , , ,
6 Steps Every Business Must Take to Protect Against Personal Injury Lawsuits

The law expects that all businesses must take the proper steps to ensure that the customers and clients visiting their premises are safe and protected from injuries and accidents. Although unforeseen incidents cannot be prevented, every business owner should be prepared for the possibility of having to deal with personal injury lawsuits.

As a store or company owner, you must take the basic precautions to ensure that your setup remains safe from lawsuits brought by employees or customers. Keep in mind that plaintiffs suing your company even with a small complaint can cost you millions of dollars if found to be valid. It might interest you to know the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that each year 16,397 personal injury cases are presented in court. This number makes up only 4% of the total number of incidents with the other 96% being settled out of court.

Here are some of the initiatives you can implement on a regular basis.

1. Conduct Regular Training Sessions for Your Employees

Educate your employees about the importance of a creating a hazard-free workplace, both for the people who work in the company and for customers, vendors, and any other visitors so that personal injury lawsuits are avoided. Remember, even if the incident occurs because of the negligence of a worker, you could still be held responsible.

  • Set up a protocol that employees must strictly follow when using equipment. Train them carefully so that even the simplest of tasks are performed without causing injury or creating a hazard. For example, a smart stacking system that won’t cause products to tumble with casual brushing.
  • Insist that all equipment is stored carefully after use and not left lying around so it can hurt people.
  • On your part, keep all equipment well-maintained and in perfect working order.
  • As a feature in Business.com explains, teach your employees to keep a sharp lookout for loose railings and floorboards, torn carpets, shaky tiles and bricks, or any other potential hazard.
  • Welcome feedback from your workers regarding any health and safety issues that need to be dealt with.

2. Invite Professional Health and Safety Inspections

Even if you’re not the property owner, as the lessee, it is up to you to ensure that the building is safe. You can conduct regular inspections of the structure to look for any risks and hazards that can potentially lead to personal injury lawsuits resulting from negligence on the part of the store owner. If possible, get a professional to inspect the external and internal sections, sidewalks outside, storerooms, stairways, hallways, restrooms, and all other areas of the company structure. Yet another smart strategy is to call in an attorney who has the necessary experience in litigation to take a look around and identify any weak spots.

3. Conduct All Maintenance and Renovations Out of Working Hours

Schedule any cleaning and maintenance tasks out of business hours so that they don’t cause any slips and falls. For instance, water or soap on the floor, ladders in the hallways, and tools lying around could hurt visitors. You can also risk a personal injury lawsuit because of the dust or fumes from cleaning solutions. If you must have the repair jobs done right away, section off the area with the mandatory yellow signs warning visitors of the risks.

4. Organize the Workplace Carefully

Organize your store or workplace carefully so that there is no clutter lying around that can cause tripping incidents. Mark out all corners carefully with signs that are clearly visible. Arrange the desks and aisles with enough moving space. If your organization has earned certificates and licenses for health and safety precautions, you might want to display them. In this way, you offer assurance to customers that your company takes all the necessary care for their protection.

 

5. Talk to Your Insurance Company about General Liability Coverage

Getting protection against personal injury lawsuits that can cause significant losses is a good move. As an article on FindLaw reveals, accidents can also occur in areas where the lighting is inadequate or because of natural weather conditions like rain water or melted snow that can result in a slip-and-fall occurrence. General liability insurance can provide you with coverage in case you get sued. In addition to personal and bodily harm, the insurance also protects you from advertising injury, slander, libel, damage to property and any other risks.

6. Handle an Accident with Tact and Sensitivity

You can take all the possible precautions to secure your establishment but accidents can take place. It is advisable to stay informed on the best measures to take when an incident occurs. For instance, have an updated first-aid kit always at hand. Inform emergency services right away and do everything you can to add to the comfort of the injured person. Create a detailed account of the incident and request all the other people around for statements. Record their impressions along with their names and contact information in case you need to call them in as witnesses. Also, get in touch with your attorney to prepare for the possibility of a personal injury lawsuit.

In addition to the costs of litigation, you may have to deal with the loss of reputation of your business in case an accident and its fallout takes place. Protect your company from unwanted and unfavorable publicity by doing the best you can to secure the premises and avoid personal injury lawsuits.

Four Reasons to Consider Majoring in Law at College

Angela Manning Education , , , , , , ,
Four Reasons to Consider Majoring in Law at College

If you are soon to be applying to college, then one of the biggest questions that you’re probably asking yourself right now is what to major in. The subjects that you choose to study in college truly can shape the rest of your life and are likely to have a huge effect on how your future career pans out. When it comes to choosing the subject for your college degree program, you might be lucky enough to already know exactly what you’d like to study. But, if like many students you’re still on the fence about choosing a program of study, then coming to a final decision could be tricky. Law is an excellent subject to study at college and it can open up a multitude of future opportunities for you. We’ve listed some of the best reasons to choose to study law.

#1. Great Career Opportunities

If you’re hoping to take on a college degree program that will set you up for life when it comes to your career, then look no further than studying law. The legal field is huge, giving you plenty of opportunities to branch out into different sectors. For example, you could decide to spend your career fighting cases in court on behalf of people who have been accused of a crime or help others with a health care law degree.

#2. High Demand

Another reason to consider studying law at college is that qualified lawyers are always in high demand. No matter what happens with the economy, people will always need good lawyers to fight their corner, whether that be a criminal law case, business, and financial law, or a healthcare law case. Regardless of your area of specialty and expertise, you can rest assured that your services will always be needed by certain members of the general public.

#3. Be Your Own Boss

One of the best things about studying for a masters in health law is that there’s the opportunity to become your own boss further down the line. Whilst many newly qualified lawyers will start their careers working for an established law firm, there’s nothing to stop you from starting your own law firm once you have gained knowledge, experience, and built up a client base. If a self-employed career in the future is something that appeals to you, then studying for your degree in law could be the ideal first step to take.

#4. Continue Learning

If you are the type of person who loves to learn and couldn’t imagine anything worse than finding a career where you stop learning new things, then the law could be the perfect option for you when it comes to choosing your college degree program. As a lawyer, there is always going to be the opportunity for you to progress and learn new things, whether that involves taking on a new branch of law or improving your knowledge in your chosen field of the legal industry.

Are you thinking of studying law at college? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.