Does Your Job Put You At High Risk for Injury?

• Dan T. Matrafajlo
• Thu Aug 2018
• Work Injury,
• 0

It almost goes without saying that some jobs put workers are at higher risk than others. For example, some professions involve sedentary work – without the use of any type of dangerous machinery. Meanwhile, police officers and firefighters are faced with danger on a daily basis. What about you? Does the work you do mean you’re likely to suffer a work-related injury?

What would you consider the most dangerous job in the country?  Before you venture a guess, you should know that it’s not a profession common to New Jersey – or even dominant on the East Coast.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), those in the logging industry are faced with the greatest potential for fatal accidents. They cut and transport timber that will be later be processed into lumber, paper, and other products. Second in place for deaths related to work accidents? If you’ve ever watched the Deadliest Catch, it won’t come as a big surprise that those in the fishing industry run tremendous risks whenever they are work.

Most Dangerous Jobs and Workplace Injuries

Some jobs are more dangerous than others. Regardless of the danger level, New Jersey workers’ compensation laws make it clear that New Jersey employees have the right to recover workers’ compensation benefits when they are injured while performing work duties.

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, nearly 5200 people died from work-related injuries in 2016. Unfortunately, this represented a seven percent increase from the previous year.  It was also the third year in a row that the number of fatal accidents in the country rose.

The Bureau reports that the top 10 occupations with the highest rates of incidents are:

• Logging workers
• Fishers and related fishing workers
• Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
• Roofers
• Refuse and recyclable material collectors
• Structural iron and steel workers
• Drivers, sales workers, and truck drivers
• Farmers, ranchers and other agricultural managers
• Construction trades and extraction workers
• Grounds maintenance workers.

 

The BLS also reports that other occupations with the high rates of nonfatal injury incidents include nurses, laborers, office workers, police and law enforcement, and teachers.

Those working on these jobs are prone to injuries involving falls, trips, and slips; transportation incidents; violence from persons or animals; fires; contact with objects and machinery; exposure to harmful substances and environments; or sprains, strains, or cuts.

Of course, it goes without saying – accidents happen. Even in professions that appear safe, it is possible to get hurt at work.  An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can provide information regarding filing a claim and what benefits should be anticipated.

Contact a New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Whether you sustained injuries from a machine accident or slip at fall on the job, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If you are a New Jersey worker who has suffered a work-related injury, contact Beninato & Matrafajlo Attorneys at Law for a free consultation. We have experience in personal injury cases and helping our clients recover compensation.