Workplace hazards change over time. Decades ago, those in the service sector, especially restaurant workers, had an increased risk of respiratory conditions caused by restaurant customers smoking indoors.
Changes in the economy and in social practices may influence what hazards professionals face while on the job. For some workers, the risk of violence in the workplace is higher now than in decades past.
Professionals and laborers injured by violence in the workplace may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits to pay for their treatment and help replace their lost wages until they can return to work.
Some jobs see more violence than others
Some careers, such as security, law enforcement, and correctional work, obviously expose people to the risk of violence. The professions that have seen the most alarming increases in recent years include health care, education and service or hospitality. Medical professionals, educators, and service workers never know when unstable people might become violent.
Workers can sustain injuries ranging from lacerations caused by weapons to traumatic brain injuries caused by punches to the head. Regardless of the type of job they perform, workers’ compensation should help injured workers pay for their treatments and offset the loss of their income while they recover from the incident. There is an exception, however, known as the personal animus exception. An injury caused by an act of a third person intended to injure the employee because of reasons personal to the third person is specifically excluded from coverage under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Section 301(c)(1), 77 P.S. § 411(1). This is a very fact-specific area of the law and it is an affirmative defense which must be proven by the employer in litigation. In this kind of situation, you definitely should have expert legal assistance on your side.
Understanding common work hazards can help workers injured by others at the workplace protect themselves from injury or respond appropriately after an incident occurs. Those affected by violence while working may need support pursuing the workers’ compensation benefits they need to pay for their treatment and their living expenses until they return to work. Contact the certified specialist workers’ compensation attorneys at Wolf, Baldwin & Associates, P.C. to schedule a free consultation by clicking here or calling 610-362-5649.