Miami Workplace Vehicle Accident Injury Attorney
From collecting and delivering goods to transporting staff, many businesses and organizations rely on vehicles for a variety of jobs. Unfortunately, this also means that workplace vehicle accidents are extremely common with thousands of workers suffering from injuries every year.
Have you recently been involved in a motor vehicle accident in your workplace that has resulted in an injury? You could be entitled to workers’ compensation. At the Law Offices of Juan Lucas Alvarez, we can help clarify any questions you might have in pursing your workers’ compensation case.
Types of vehicles in the workplace and accidents that occur
The most common types of vehicles in the work place include: trucks, cars, vans, bulldozers, forklifts and other plant machinery.
- Accidents most often occur as a result of:
- Falling from a moving vehicle or from vehicle cabs, goods ramps or tail lifts
- Being hit by a moving vehicle
- Being hit by an object that may have fallen from a vehicle
- Vehicles overturning
- Being crushed by or between vehicles
Beyond the reasons listed above, there are still other ways your workplace accident might have taken place, and you could be entitled to compensation.
Employer responsibilities for workplace accidents
As well as taking responsibility for your own safety at work, your employer also has responsibilities that they should fulfill to help minimize the likelihood vehicle accidents in your workplace.
Training
Lack of training and experience is the primary cause of many on the job vehicle accidents. If you are expected to operate vehicles in your workplace, your employer should provide thorough training, before allowing you to operate a vehicle.
Safe working environment
Your employer should take steps to make sure that the site you are working at is as safe as possible. One of the main ways in which they should do this is to mark a clear workplace traffic route. This identifies the areas in which vehicles are allowed to move, and directs where foot passengers should walk in order to be safe. There should also be clear procedures in place that cover activities, like loading and unloading a workplace vehicle.
Correctly used, well-maintained vehicles
When selecting vehicles for use within the work environment, your employer should ensure that they choose the appropriate type of vehicle for the role that they want to fulfill. They should also be adequately maintained to ensure that they are in peak operating condition, which will help minimize the likelihood of vehicle problems that result in injury.
Risk assessments
Risk assessments should be standard practice within any business or organization. These identify potential risks and help employers to put controls in place to reduce them.
Worker’s compensation for work vehicle accidents
If you were involved in an accident involving a workplace vehicle, you may be entitled to claim worker’s compensation. This is a benefit that is paid to people who are injured in the line of work with the intention of helping to cover the financial implications caused by loss of earnings, medical bills, and rehabilitation. People who claim workers’ compensation relinquish their right to sue their employer for negligence.
Workers’ compensation is not an automatic entitlement, and there are many criteria that a claim needs to meet in order to be considered for the benefit.
Why hire a workplace accident attorney?
Worker’s compensation claims and vehicle accident claims have different rules, and it can be difficult and time consuming for anyone without comprehensive legal knowledge to figure out which type of claim to make. If you have been involved in a workplace vehicle accident, the compensation that you can claim will be vital to your financial stability during your recovery.
An attorney who specializes in workplace accidents has the knowledge and experience to know which type of claim you should be making, and will be able to help you to recover the maximum amount of compensation available under the law for your individual case.
Our attorneys here at the offices of Juan Lucas Alvarez, P.A. in Miami, FL have extensive experience in handling workplace accident claims. Schedule your no obligation consultation, so we can discuss how to help you receive the compensation that you deserve. Call us today at 786-802-0300.
