The recent $1 million plus award to an injured Connecticut worker highlights the importance of protecting your workers compensation rights after an injury on the job.
A Metro-North employee was fired after he reported the incident in which a railroad jack failed causing a railroad tie to fall on his foot, breaking his big toe. After the worker reported the accident, he was fired for what his employer said was violating company policy and essentially causing his own accident. However, an investigation by OSHA revealed it was not the worker’s fault. It was the employer who was found guilty of violating railroad safety laws.
While there are not many million dollar workers compensation awards handed down from a jury, there are many employers who are willing to violate work safety laws in order to cut costs or corners. Many times employees who were hurt in the job were accused of wrong-doing by employers and had no idea what to do. Some dropped their case and dealt with the consequences on their own.
There is no reason for you to back away from a legitimate workers compensation claim. If you received an injury on the job, you have a right to report it with worry of being disciplined or terminated. While that is an employee’s right, there are companies that will ignore those rights and attempt to get rid of the problem rather than face facts.
