Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog

Opioid medications for the treatment of various kinds of pain are a serious drive of medical indemnity costs in workers’ compensation claims. According to a recent study, “The Effects of Opioid Use on Workers’ Compensation Claim Cost in the State of Michigan,” these medications are complicating the treatment picture.

Researchers looked at four years of claims in Michigan and what effect these prescriptions had on the workers’ compensation claims that were filed.

Nowadays, more and more patients are being prescribed opioid medications. They’re also being handed out in higher dosages in their purest of forms. Many of these patients are injured workers and they’re being given to them regardless of their previous medical conditions or their current health risks, according to Claims Journal.

Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys understand that the patients may also be denied the proper pain medication out of an overabundance of caution. Oftentimes they’re accused of gaming the system. Unfortunately at the same time, there are a number of injured workers who are over-prescribed and become addicted to the painkiller. A proper regiment of pain medication is often a critical quality-of-life issue for those seriously hurt on the job.

There’s been an overwhelming problem in recent years regarding the over-prescription of these medications, the addiction to them and the deaths they’ve cause, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“To our knowledge, this is the first scientifically validated study to demonstrate that long-acting opioids,” said Jack Tower, MS, Medical Trends specialist for Accident Fund Holdings.

Accident Fund Holdings has been keeping a close eye over the prescriptions and the use of opioids for pain for a number of years. All of this research concluded that there is a need for officials to look at and even intervene in these kinds of claims when patients are treated with the prescription of opioids.

Tower goes on to say that he and his organization are focused on making sure that these workers are not being subjected to addiction and that they’re able to return back to work as soon and as healthy as possible.

What exactly are opiods?

Opioids are medications that are designed to relieve pain. What they do is reduce the intensity of the pain signals that are reaching your brain. These are the signals that affect your emotions, which is why the pain diminished when these waved are altered. Some of the common medications that fall under this category are codeine, morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone.

If you have any questions regarding the treatment and the compensation that you’re receiving for a work accident, it’s critical for you to contact an attorney. Work accidents are no joke and needed to be treated seriously, not with just medication to mask the pain.
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Officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced they will be conducting increased enforcement on residential construction sites for another three months. Now, the efforts will continue on through the 15th of December. During this time, officials will be conducting free on-site compliance assistance, increased outreach programs and promoting measures to ensure consistency.

Officials with OSHA have been working closely with the construction industry to help to make sure that employers, supervisors and companies are complying with all of the residential construction measures. Since October of last year, officials with OSHA and its On-site Consultation Projects have performed close to 3,000 on-site visits. In addition, they’ve also conducted more than 900 training sessions and have put on close to 450 presentations to help to protect workers in the industry from fall accidents.

Our Boston construction accident attorneys understand that construction workers are at high risk for fall accidents. Fall accidents in this industry account for about a third of all construction work fatalities, making them the leading cause of death in the industry. According to OSHA, one out of every ten construction site employees are injured every year.

Every year, there are close to 200,000 accident injuries in the construction industry. In addition to falls, contact with equipment is also one of the top causes for these accidents. It’s usually workers between the ages of 25- and 34 who are injured in these kinds of accidents. Unfortunately, most of these injuries involved an employee’s trunk, spine or back.

To help to ensure that these accidents become less common on construction sites, officials with OSHA are conducting various outreach activities. Since last year, they’ve conducted more than 800. The Administration says that it will continue its work with employers and with employees.

In the construction industry, there were nearly 300 fatal deaths from falls to lower levels in 2010. In total, there were close to 800 fall fatalities.

It’s important that these workers are provided with the proper safety equipment. It’s the employees who work at least six feet above a lower level who are more at risk. Oftentimes, this includes those working on scaffolds and ladders. Workers need to have the proper personal fall arrests systems (PFAS). These devices must fit properly, must be regularly inspected and must be in good-working condition. When and employer estimates the cost of a job, they should include safety equipment as well as plan to have all the necessary equipment and tools available at the site.

The trouble with these kinds of accidents is that they’re completely preventable. That’s why officials are urging employers to participate in this awareness campaign and work to provide employees with the best safety measures available. After all, it’s the law!
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There are more than 800 stores under the operation of Monro Muffler Brake Inc. This company provides tire services and auto repair to residents throughout the eastern part of the country.

Recently, the company came to an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The enterprise-wide agreement states the company will create and enact specific procedures to help to protect workers from being struck or crushed by any of the hydraulic lifts on its work sites.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the company was cited last September by state officials. One of its Stoughton locations was inspected and officials discovered that these hydraulic lifts were not being properly inspected or properly maintained in addition to a number of other hazards. That inspection was the result of an April accident in which a lift failed, dropped the vehicle to the ground and striking an employee. During the initial investigation, the company was fined nearly $20,000 for various citations.

Our Stoughton workers’ compensation lawyers understand that hydraulic lifts are used in a variety of occupations. Not only are they commonly found in the workforce, but they are commonly misused as well and wind up injuring and killing workers every year. Whether you’re a muffler installer or a tire tech, chances are that you’re working around one of these devices. It’s critical that safety rules and regulations are emphasized on the job. Failure to heed car lift safety rules can result in injury or death.

If you work with a hydraulic lift on the job:

-Make sure you’ve got the proper training before you start work with a life.

-Make sure that the lift is inspected before every shift.

-Always be sure that the lift’s locking devices engage before starting work under a vehicle.

-Make sure that you always wear the proper eye protection under the vehicle.

-Be sure that the vehicle is balanced and centered on the lift.

-Always check ceiling clearing before engaging a lift.

-Always check the vehicle to make sure it’s stable before lifting too high. Always check at about knee height.

-Make sure that the area is clear before lowering the lift.

-Never lift a vehicle that has people inside.

-Never overload the lift or exceed the capacity.

-Never stand under a lift that does not have the locking mechanisms engaged.

-Never try to fix a lift yourself. If it’s broken, notify your supervisor to contact the company.

“That means safer working conditions for thousands of workers at hundreds of workplaces,” said Marthe Kent, OSHA’s regional administrator.

Under the agreement laud out for Monro, the company will have a new maintenance and inspection program for its lifts and will work to better train operators. It has also agreed to pay more than $12,000 in fines for the violations initially observed.
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Barletta Heavy Division Inc., a Canton-based heavy equipment operator, was recently cited by officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for a number of work hazards and dangers on the work site that could have seriously injured employees.

The site in question was the on in Amesbury where crews were working to replace the Hine Bridge. The company is now facing more than $90,000 in fines. The investigation was the result of a work accident that happened back in March when one of the cranes hit a power line and seriously injured a worker.

The Andover Area OSHA Office was in charge of conducting the investigation. Officials found that there were a number of incidents in which cranes had struck power lines during that one project. The company was also busted for not conducting hazard assessments, neglecting proper signage and failing to ensure that each worker was qualified to work on the site.

Our Amesbury workers’ compensation attorneys understand the dangers that accompany working with cranes. As a matter of fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there were more than 70 work fatalities resulting from work with cranes last year. These fatalities include accidents in which the source of the injury was a crane, the secondary source of injury was a crane or where the worker was operating a crane. During that year, 30 of the deaths were fatalities caused by being hit by a falling object. Nine of these deaths were a result of the crane striking the victim and the others were killed when an object the crane was transporting fell onto them. A majority of these accidents could have been prevented had employers taken the proper safety precautions to help to protect workers.

“We issued a citation for a willful violation due to the fact that the employer knew of the power line hazard and did not take steps to correct it,” said Jeffrey Erskine, OSHA’s area director.

Workers that are oftentimes exposed to these kinds of dangers are brazers, solderers, cutters, welders and electricians.

Before launching work, employers are required to make sure that the site has been assessed and that all of the dangers and hazards are mitigated. There should be a crane safety plan established. There should also be a competent person that is assigned to oversee crane operations. This person should possess the authority to stop unsafe operations. Employers are also required to make sure that each and every employee is trained to work with this equipment and trained to not only point out dangers, but on what to do in the event of an emergency. Avoiding a potentially fatal work accident required a strategic plan and proper training.

It doesn’t happen by accident.
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Fishers and those who work in the fishing industry face some of the most dangerous working conditions. They face higher fatality rates than any other work position in the nation.

They’re required to work long hours under some of the harshest conditions. They stay on their boats for sometimes months at a time with little to no sleep to complete their job. They’re tossed around by the rough seas and the wind and are exposed to the elements. Weather? Doesn’t matter for fishers. The job must go on. And medical treatment? It’s not often available on the boat with only the Coast Guard to rely upon in case of emergency. All of these conditions contribute to the alarmingly high rate of work injuries and fatalities faced by these brave workers.

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the fatality rate for these workers is more than 302 per 100,000 full-time workers. That’s more than 50 times the all-worker fatality rate, which is less than 4 per 100,000. From 2003 to 2009, there were more than 45 fishers and related workers who died each year in the field.

Our Boston workers compensation attorneys understand how important the fishing industry is in the New England area. Those who work in this industry meet the high demand of the public and do what it takes to make a living and support their families. In 2009, there were more than 30,000 fishers and related workers who were injured on the job.

From 2003 to 2009, there were roughly 610 workers in this industry who were injured badly enough to require days away from work. Contact with objects and overexertion were the leading causes of these injuries. Most of these workers experience sprains and strains or injuries that involved the trunk as the body part affected. For this industry, the rate of on-the-job illnesses and injuries that resulted in days away from work for these workers was more than 72 per 10,000 full-time workers in 2009.

Top 5 States for Industry Fatalities:

-Alaska: 70 fatalities.

-Massachusetts: 49 fatalities.

-Florida: 29 fatalities.

-Louisiana: 25 fatalities.

-Oregon: 25 fatalities.

Of the fishers and related workers who died on the job from 2003 to 2009, nearly half were self-employed. The rest were salary and wage workers. In a few cases, these workers do their job from their own boat. Most times, these workers are part of a fishing and production company that has a crew.

Fishing is a seasonal occupation, too. Not all fish, including shrimp and crabs, are available year round. It almost seems though, that when one of these fishing seasons is over, it’s time to gear up for another one and the cycle continues.
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You might think of Labor Day and only think about a day off work, but the truth of the matter is that it’s so much more important than that!

Labor Day represents the creation of the labor movement and is used to commemorate economic and social achievements of workers throughout the nation. It’s celebrated during the first Monday of every September and it’s used to recognize the contributions that workers have made to the prosperity, strength and well-being of our country, according to the United States Department of Labor (DOL).

Our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys understand that this holiday has been celebrated for more than 100 years now. Some say that it was started by Peter J. McGuire, a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor and general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, while others believe that it was launched by Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists.

The first Labor Day that was recorded was celebrated on Tuesday, the 5th of September in 1882. It happened in New York City to be held with the Central Labor Union. The second Labor day was held by the Central Labor Union just a year later, on September 5th of 1883.

Labor Day Facts You May Not Have Known:

-First Labor Day festivities included a picnic, speeches, and lot of of cigars, Lager beer kegs… mounted in every conceivable place.

-In many countries, Labor Day is celebrated as International Workers Day or May Day on the 1st of May. This holiday was originally spawned by Europe’s proletariat movement.

-Many still argue who started the first Labor Day holiday.

-The first Labor Day celebration in the United States was designed as a way to appease city workers after they had conducted a number of strikes. Many of these strikes ended in severe violence.

-Oregon was the first state to declare Labor Day a state holiday. Following Oregon was New York, Colorado, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

-President Grover Cleveland declared the first labor day on Labor Day in 1894. it has been celebrated on the first Monday of every September ever since. The long weekend help people to travel and celebrate the holiday the right way.

-Fashionistas use the Labor Day holiday to stop all wear of the color white. That’s right guys, you too!

-Labor Day is also the unofficial end of the summer season. This is also when many school districts start up their school year again.
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Teens and young adults use their summer break to join the workforce and earn some extra money while they’re out of school. According to the most recent statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of workers between the ages of 15- and 25-years-old increased by nearly 20 million from just April to July of 2012. This is an increase of more than 2 percent. These statistics mean that more than half of individuals in this young age group were a part of the U.S. workforce during the month of July.

During these months, we see the largest increases in young employees on the job. High school students seek summer work and newly-graduated students look for their dream job and permanent employment. Kids heading off to college area also looking for part-time or full-time employment to help make ends meet.

Our Quincy workers’ compensation attorneys understand that the rise in the number of young workers usually means a rise in the number of accidents among them. These workers are some of the most vulnerable in the workforce. They oftentimes hold job positions in dangerous fields.

During this time, nearly 65 percent of young men were employed while nearly 58 percent of young women were employed. Nearly 63 percent of young whites were employed, nearly 55 percent of young blacks were employed, more than 43 percent of young Asians and more than 57 percent of young Hispanics were employed during this time.

More than a quarter of the youth who were employed worked in the leisure and hospitality sector. This includes restaurants and other food services. Close to 20 percent of youth who were employed during this time worked in the retail trade industry. This is a figure down slightly from 2011.

There were 4 million youth unemployed during this time, which is down a little from the 4.1 million just a year ago. This means that the unemployment rate for this young group was just over 17 percent in July of 2012.

Parents are asked to talk with their teen worker about the rights that they have on the job. Knowledge and education are key in keeping the workplace safe. Share the following rights with your teen before they head back to work.

Rights as a youth worker in the U.S., according to Youth at Work:

-Work in a discrimination-free work place.

-To work without harassment or the fear of harassment.

-To be able to speak up about job discrimination without the fear of punishment.

-To be able to request workplace changes for your religion or disability.

-To keep your medical information private.
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