Workplace violence appears in the news practically every day. This common occurrence includes everything from someone getting injured as the result of a fight between employees to bank or store robberies that lead to broken bones and other serious injuries. If you’ve been injured due to a workplace violence incident, contact the experienced Florida workers’ compensation lawyers at Work Injury Rights.
Injuries Caused by Workplace Violence
Any number of injuries can be caused by workplace violence. A bank teller who was hit in the head with a gun during a robbery may have a concussion, sprains, or broken bones. A nurse whose patient attacked them with something sharp can end up with lacerations and other injuries.
People can end up with fatal injuries when co-workers, clients, or strangers go into the workplace with the intent to cause physical harm. And those are just the visible injuries. The mental ones, such as PTSD, anxiety, and panic disorder, often follow these violent events and have lasting consequences.
Categories of Workplace Violence
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has divided workplace violence into three different categories. They are:
Violence Caused by Employees
Whether it’s the result of pent-up aggravation or a hostile employee turning on their boss, employee-caused violence can involve more than just the initial people involved in the fight. Innocent bystanders may end up getting injured or killed as well. According to OSHA, 10% of all forms of workplace violence fall into this category.
Violence Caused by Strangers
Over 60% of the time, workplace violence is caused by a stranger or someone unknown to most of the workforce. For example, if a bank robber hurts or kills a bank employee during a robbery attempt, that counts as workplace violence. Another example consists of an angry spouse of a co-worker attacking them at work and injuring or killing several of their spouse’s fellow employees at the same time.
Violence Caused by Client
An angry client or repeat customer that takes out their rage on employees in a physical manner falls within this category. For example, an upset patient attacks their doctor or a client physically harms their social worker in this form of workplace violence that occurs 30% of the time, per OSHA statistics.
Receiving Compensation for Workplace Violence
If you’ve been injured at work or have lost a loved one due to workplace violence, then you may be eligible for workplace violence compensation. To collect proper compensation, you’ll need the help of an expert attorney to file your claim, as everything from medical records to video footage of the accident may be needed as proof of your pain and suffering.
Suits may be filed against the employer for failure to keep the employees safe. Several federal and state liability laws may be part of the suit as well. If you were injured due to workplace violence, you may qualify for workers’ compensation with the help of an experienced workers’ comp lawyer.
Have You Been a Victim of Workplace Violence?
Workplace violence happens when you least expect it. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a violent act in the workplace, you’ll need expert legal representation. At Work Injury Rights, we offer complimentary case evaluations to help decipher if you have a valid workers’ compensation claim and begin your road to recovery. For more information, contact us today!
