Most people in the United States spend 40 hours a week working. That is a lot of time to spend earning money, and considering how much time is spent in the workplace, it is understandable that workplace injuries are a risk to everyone. Unfortunately, the risk is more significant for some groups of people than it is for others. A recent study conducted by researchers from both the University of Southern California and Boston University found that Black and Latino’s workers are injured on the job more often than other workers. This is mainly due to the fact that Black and Latino workers are more likely to hold down riskier jobs, with construction work and labor trades being named specifically.
If you are Black or Latino, it is important to understand that you are at an increased risk of workplace injuries. Below are some tips for reducing your personal risk. Please read them and pass them on to friends and family.
How to avoid workplace injuries at a job that poses a greater risk of harm:
Do not be afraid to question authority. Suppose your employer is asking you to do something dangerous. In that case, it is fine to inquire about safety procedures respectfully, and it is within your rights to refuse to do dangerous work.
If you are dealing with a language barrier, make sure that you fully understand the instructions before performing a task with an increased risk of danger. It is ok to ask for clarification and for your manager to repeat their instructions until you understand.
Follow every safety procedure to the letter. Do not skip a procedure that you do not entirely understand; it is likely there for a reason.
Report all injuries to your employer. If you do not report your injuries, safety procedures cannot be updated for your own future safety or the safety of your coworkers.
When you think of a personal injury accident, you probably think of a horrific fall from a slippery wet floor or a traffic collision. But there is another type of personal injury accident that often goes overlooked. For instance, let’s say that you are frying bacon one morning in a brand-new skillet. Things are going fine until you go to remove the skillet from the heat. When you lift the skillet by its handle, the handle breaks, and the skillet goes crashing to the ground, splattering you with hot oil in the process. You are now not only dealing with a mess but a significant burn as well. Did your carelessness cause this injury? No. A faulty product caused it.
Most people do not think about how defective products can lead to injuries. Sadly, more than 3 million people are injured, and 22,000 die at the hands of faulty products every year in the United States. If you or a loved one are harmed by a defective product, there are several steps you should take to build a strong personal injury case against the manufacturer.
Take photos of the defective product. An essential part in building a strong case is understanding how the product failed. Based on the type of failure you are dealing with, it may not be easy to get pictures, but it is vital to do so if it is possible.
Seek medical attention and save your medical records. We are going to need a paper trail linking the faulty product to your injury.
Collect the receipt and purchasing information for the product.
Contact a personal injury attorney about representation.
We have handled these types of cases for years and are experienced in dealing with large and complicated manufacturing companies. We won’t let a corporation get away with selling a dangerous product. We will not only help you to collect a settlement, but we can also help save future consumers from the same fate. It is deeply frustrating that certain groups of people are more likely to be hurt than others. The only way to begin to make it right is to identify the issue and take active steps toward making the workplace safe for Black and Latino workers. If you have been hurt on the job as a minority worker, you need legal representation. Contact the attorneys at Karns & Karns in Los Angeles. We have both the experience and cultural competency to help you win your case.
