We’ve heard it all before. We’ve seen the advertisements and we’ve heard the radio messages. Work injuries, lawyers and compensation. Three terms that go hand-in-hand yet, do you really understand how it happens?
If you work in an office then you probably think to yourself “how could anyone possibly get injured?”. After all, you’re sitting at a desk working on a computer, so the worst thing that could happen is that you trip on something and fall. Of course, it still counts as an injury, but is it really something that could get compensation instead of just being called an accident that was your fault?
Well, yes.
Whose responsibility is it?
You see, workplaces have an obligation to keep their employees safe, so if there really was something like a wire in the middle of nowhere that you tripped on, that would be the responsibility of your employer. It sounds strange if you have any awareness of your surroundings, but it makes sense in the grand scheme of things. We run a modern practice with top-tier dynamic team and are often hired for high-profile personal injury or work accident attorneys in Houston.
One of the biggest issues when it comes to accidents is identifying who’s fault it really was, and in most cases, this is down to the employer. But how do accidents really happen in the workplace, and what are the most common ones? Let’s take a look.
Muscle aches and strains
Certain industries require their workers to lift heavy boxes and do all manner of physically stressful activities, and these can often lead to muscle aches and strains. You can see more about how to claim compensation should this happen to you, but it’s always a cause for concern considering how easy it can be to hurt yourself.
This is especially true for people that aren’t physically fit. If you’ve worked in an office for most of your career and don’t do much strength training, then the day someone asks you to carry a heavy object from one room to another could be the day that your back gives in or you pull a muscle, leading to an injury.
Another common concern is repetitive strain injury, also known as RSI. This is often a concern for people that spend most of their day typing or writing a lot and is frequently seen in office environments and technology companies. RSI can even affect upper body areas such as the elbow, shoulders and neck.
Slips and falls
We’ve all seen those dread “wet floor, caution” signs at work, but rarely do any of us actually pay attention. We might be a little more cautious, as the sign implies, but do we really pay that much attention? AFter all, if we need to get across a hallway, we’re going to do it regardless of the wet floor.
Unfortunately, this is just one of the many common ways to get injured at work. When people start walking briskly across wet floors, or neglect that there are bumps in the carpet, or even trip over a box or wire that was left in the middle of nowhere, that’s when you get accidents happening.
