Were you recently involved in a work-related accident? While accidents on the job happen every day, each one needs to be taken seriously—for both health-related and safety reasons as well as for legal reasons.
But at the end of the day, why can’t your boss just say he or she is sorry?
Isn’t this the civil and human thing to do?
The truth is there are legal reasons why an employer can’t apologize for your work-related accident. Let’s try to explain…
Put Yourself in the Employer’s Shoes…
We know what you are thinking…why should you? You were the victim and the one hurt at work, why should you think of your employer? The fact is, while you are likely physically and emotionally hurt, and maybe even a little angry that the accident happened, the fact is the accident was, well, an accident…and it was no one’s real intention.
If, however, you have a reason to believe that your work-related accident and injury was in fact due to an employer’s negligence or it was intentional, then that is a different story…and definitely something you should communicate with a workers’ comp attorney.
Dangerous Work Conditions—Your Health and Safety…
Some work conditions and environments are exactly what they claim to be: dangerous. Of course there are hazards and dangers in every industry (to varying degrees), but some are more prone to accidents and damages than others.
For example, in industries such as construction, manufacturing, and mechanical fields, the risk for accidents and injuries are obviously much higher than working in a corporate office or in education. But that doesn’t mean accidents can happen in these environments, too.
All in all, if your field is particularly more “dangerous” than another, and you are aware of this when you take the job, then an employer is a little less likely to feel compelled to apologize for an accident that is relatively common.
Of course there are safety measures, equipment, and other steps that both employers and employees need to adhere to in order to reduce the amount of accidents and injuries that happen—in any industry. Working in an unsafe environment is risky to any employee’s well being.
However, if an employer does not make the effort to ensure safety for his or her employees, then there may be legal repercussions that follow suit here…
Your Legal Rights as an Employee
Workplace injuries can be successfully litigated by the employee should the employer choose to ignore workplace injury claims filed by the employee after a work-related accident.
If this is the case, then the employer is setting up the company for a major lawsuit, and should be something that you are discussing with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Florida.
A disgruntled employee who feels disrespected and hurt may seek legal counsel to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Speak with Workers Compensation Attorney in Florida
All in all, if you were injured in a work-related accident, it is unlikely that an employer will apologize to you—especially if they aren’t directly at fault. However, if you have reason to believe your accident occurred due to an employer’s intentions or negligence, then this is definitely a reason for you to consider working with a workers’ compensation or personal injury attorney.
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