The percentage of workplace injuries occurring in the Last Frontier State is much greater than the national average, according to the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. In the manufacturing industries alone, Alaskan workers suffered twice as many per capita on-the-job injuries as the rest of the nation in 2018.
At the Law Office of Justin S. Eppler, LLC, we understand how a life-changing accident can happen quickly and unexpectedly, especially for employees in our state’s fishing, agricultural and forestry industries. Alaskan employees in these fields experienced a greater than twofold increase in reportable cases of occupational injuries and illnesses between 2016 and 2018.
Overall, nationwide data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that workers in the material moving and transportation industries face greater on-the-job accident dangers than other fields. Employees in these sectors are often responsible for duties requiring a great deal of care and caution, such as operating heavy equipment and tractor-trailers. No matter how dangerous the duty, however, an employee’s eligibility to receive workers’ compensation benefits does not depend on proving or disproving fault. An employee’s on-the-job error, carelessness or negligence does not disqualify a worker from eligibility.
Workers’ compensation provides limited benefits for medical attention and coverage for taking time off to recover. Not being able to work because of an accident, however, could have life-altering effects for an entire family. In some cases, a worker could face difficulty proving that an injury or illness is job-related, and a worker’s compensation claim may then become a complicated issue.
Under certain circumstances, an employee suffering long-term financial consequences due to a serious workplace injury may require a legal action. Our page on frequently asked questions about workers’ compensation provides more information about your rights when suffering from a job-related injury or illness.
