Although workplace deaths in 2012 decreased overall, the number of workplace fatalities affecting young agricultural workers has nearly doubled from 2011 to 2012.

Picking up from Workplace Fatalities Reportedly Decreased in 2012 (Part 1), the following provides some additional statistics from the 2012 National Census of Fatal Workplace Occupational Injuries (conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

• Workplace violence is still a serious issue and major cause of workplace deaths. In fact, in 2012, about 17 percent of workplace fatalities were the result of workplace violence. Although some states have enacted their own regulations in an effort to try to protect workers from this phenomenon, OSHA has yet to issue its own regulations regarding the prevention of workplace violence.
• Workplace deaths among younger workers have increased from 2011 to 2012, nearly doubling from 10 such fatalities in 2011 to 19 deaths in 2012. About 75 percent of these workers are agricultural workers.

In response to these recently released statistics, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez has stated that, “employers must take job hazards seriously and live up to their legal and moral obligation to send their workers home safe every single day… no worker should lose their life for a paycheck.”

Colorado Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

If you have sustained a workplace injury and are considering (or in the process of) filing a workers’ compensation claim, you cannot rely upon your employer or insurance companies to look out for your best interests. In fact, both your employer and insurance companies will be more focused on their own bottom lines instead of your current and future wellbeing. This can make the system adversarial for injured workers and potentially even put them in situations in which their legitimate workers’ compensation claims are undercut or even flat-out denied.

In such cases, it’s essential that injured workers contact the Colorado workers’ compensation lawyers at the Law Office of Michael P. Dominick. Our legal professionals are experienced at going up against corporate lawyers and insurance companies, and we have a proven track record of success when it comes to securing our Clients the maximum possible compensation for their injuries and financial losses. For a thorough evaluation of your case, along with expert advice on the best manner in which to move forward, call us at (303) 447-2644.