In 2015, nearly 3,000 workers suffered amputation injuries in the United States according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Of the injuries reported, 69 of them were in Connecticut. Within one year…

 

Amputations are one of the most devastating and instantaneous work injuries an employee can suffer. Regardless of what caused the injury, amputations can be debilitating to an individual, causing life-changing consequences on a physical, emotional, and even financial level.

 

Top Five Causes of Workplace Amputations

Occupational amputations can happen for a number of reasons: employer negligence, employee accidents, or even bizarre occurrences unpreventable by the safest workplace policies. For instance, just this last year an 18-year-old waiter from Stamford lost a leg after a car crashed into the restaurant he was working at!

When taking an overall look at the amputations reported in 2015, OSHA highlights five of the most common job responsibilities that can lead to these tragic injuries:

 

In cases of finger-related amputations, rings are a huge culprit in causing injuries or elevating the severeness of an amputation. ‘Ring avulsion’ occurs when an employee gets their ring caught in a machine or dangerous device, causing mutilating damage to the finger(s)…the results are not pretty.

 

Jobs At High Risk of Amputation Injuries

Industries with heavy machinery and sharp saws are not the only workplaces at risk of occupational amputations. Other fields of work where amputations can and have occurred include:

 

Aside from these high-risk jobs, any job involving blades, appliances, heavy materials, or hazardous chemicals can put employees at risk for amputations. Facilitates with poor safety polices are also especially vulnerable. Skipping steps such as wearing protective equipment or placing proper guards can make even the safest machines an amputation hazard to employees.

 

Workers’ Comp After Workplace Amputations

Connecticut requires most employers to carry a workers’ compensation plan to help cover health expenses for employees injured on the job; unfortunately, workers’ compensation claims are not always simple. Not only do claims get denied, even under the most tragic of cases, sometimes workers’ compensation benefits are not enough to cover medical expenses acquired from an accident.

 

For these reasons, expert workers’ compensation attorneys can be extremely instrumental in helping employees obtain the benefits they are entitled to for workplace injuries. If you’ve suffered a catastrophic amputation injury, an attorney can:

 

Filing a Lawsuit After Workers’ Compensation

With most workers’ compensation plans, once an employee has filed an accident claim, they are no longer able to sue their employer for an injury sustained on the job. However, there are a few cases in which a lawsuit may be justified in a workplace amputation and a workers’ compensation attorney is the best advocate to explore these options. You may be eligible for compensation additional to workers’ compensation benefits if your accident:

 

Seeking Justice for CT Amputees

Losing a part of your own body can be a traumatic experience in any case. If you or a loved one has suffered an occupational amputation, our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Jacobs & Wallace are here to help. Call us today for a free consultation to see how we can successfully assist you with filing your claim and to find out if your eligible for additional compensation for damages suffered.

Boating deaths in New England are on the rise! In 2016, boating fatalities increased by 62%  according to the Coast Guard’s Recreational Boating Statistics. Last year in Connecticut…

Recreational water sports are fun and exciting, but also extremely dangerous. With the summer season officially beginning this weekend, Connecticut residents should be well prepared for the dangers they could encounter on the water.

National Safe Boaters Week!

To promote safer boating activities across the country, the United States Coast Guard has named the week before Memorial Day National Safe Boaters Week. With over 70 million Americans participating in boating activities every year, there are more than enough opportunities for people to get involved in serious or fatal boating accidents. It’s critical that all Connecticut residents planning on participating in recreational boating activities be aware of the risks involved and the safety precautions to take before getting out on the water this season.

Top Reasons for Boating Fatalities

Not every boating accident occurs on a stormy night in treacherous weather. In fact, most fatalities happen during the day in ideal weather conditions! In 2016, the Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) reported reckless boating behaviors, along with sitting/standing on parts of the boat not meant for seating, were the two main causes of fatal boating accidents in the state. Other causes for boating accidents resulting in injuries included:

 

Boats With The Most Accidents

The type of boat you chose may increase your chances of being involved in an accident, but not in the way you might think. Though motorboats (both open and pontoon) were listed as the vessels with the highest rate of accidents in 2016, canoes and rowboats had the most fatal accidents. Non-motor vehicles can easily be capsized and hit by motorboats, so knowing how and where to operate these vessels properly is just as important as knowing how to drive boats with higher speeds.

 

Lifejacket Really Do Save Lives

Out of all the fatal boating accidents reported in the country, 80% of the victims died from drowning. More importantly, 83% of these individuals were not wearing lifejackets at the time of their accident. Too many boaters believe having a lifejacket on board is enough to protect them in the case of a boating emergency, but even the best swimmers may not be able to access the equipment in the event of a serious accident or capsized vessel.

 

How To Boat Safely

Connecticut boaters can do a lot to promote safe boating behaviors on the water and to avoid devastating boating accidents this season:

What To Do After A Boating Accident

Boating accidents caused by operator negligence are no different than vehicle accidents caused by reckless drivers. If you’ve been in a boating accident…

  1. Seek medical attention: Always address your injuries first. Never delay medical treatment because you are gathering information for your case.
  2. Document the accident: Document all details of your accident including the vessels involved, to the cause of the accident, and the injuries sustained.
  3. Report the incident: Use the forms provided by DEEP to report a boating accident on Connecticut waters.
  4. Contact a lawyer:  Finding a personal injury lawyer who specializes in boating accidents can be extremely beneficial in ensuring you are compensated for injuries sustained at the hands of others.

Keep CT Boaters Safe

Don’t let the thrill of summer boating become an activity you regret. If you or a loved one has sustained an injury from a boating accident due to the negligence of someone else, contact our expert personal injury attorneys for support. Our experienced team at Jacobs & Wallace are dedicated to supporting victims of serious and fatal boating accidents. Contact us for a free consultation to see how we can seek justice for you.

Most of us at one time or another have been guilty of driving a bit aggressively on the roads, but Connecticut motorists stand a little more guilty than others. Connecticut drivers were recently rated the second most aggressive drivers in the country according to a study by GasBuddy, and the consequences of these driving habits are having a negative overall impact on the state.

Aggressive Driving Is Dangerous

Aggressive driving is a significant cause of highway vehicle accidents in the United States and is especially widespread throughout Connecticut, California, and Georgia due to compact congestion. In 2015, speeding alone was the cause of 27% of all car crashes and responsible for 9,557 fatalities across the country. Driving aggressively could result in serious and fatal vehicle collisions and pedestrian accidents. Aggressive drivers are also more susceptible to displaying road rage or invoking road rage from others, leading to criminal offenses that can lead to serious legal consequences.

Aggressive Driving Is Expensive

Poor driving habits are not only dangerous, they can be outright expensive. Aggressive drivers are affiliated with speeding, hard breaking, and rapid accelerations, which are also behaviors known for quickly guzzling fuel. Motorists who display these aggressive driving behaviors can lower their vehicle’s gas mileage as much as 40%! When you factor in that Connecticut fuel costs are continuing to rise higher than they have been in the last three years, aggressive drivers will be in for quite the shock at the pump more often than they’d like.

Aggressive Driving Is Contagious

One of the least appealing consequences of aggressive driving is its ability to spread like wildfire. It’s easy to drive faster when everyone else around you is speeding or to swerve around traffic when you’ve witnessed the car ahead successfully do so. Some studies have even explored the biological and psychological reasons behind why some calm drivers can transition quickly into road rage-like behaviors when interacting with other aggressive drivers. For every aggressive driver who hits the streets, another few are created from mimicking and trying to keep up with other motorists on the road.

What Is Aggressive Driving?

As defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), aggressive driving refers to “The operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger persons or property.” This could include driving habits such as:

In rare instances, drivers have a valid reason for displaying aggressive behaviors, such driving fast to the hospital for a medical emergency. However, when it comes to the average aggressive driver, the most common reasons for risky road behaviors are not as critical as you would like to believe. Most motorists drive aggressively because they…

Calm Down On The Roads

Road congestion is one of the biggest stressors for Connecticut drivers, and it’s not going to get better any time soon. To help avoid falling victim to aggressive driving behaviors, make sure to leave plenty of time for your commute. Plan ahead the best you can to avoid having to rush over the speed limit. Stay steady on the break and steady on the gas. And if you encounter an aggressive driver, move out of the way and don’t engage. Aggressive driving has serious physical, emotional, and financial consequences for motorists that are not worth the risk of teaching someone a lesson on the road.

Justice For CT Drivers

Aggressive driving behaviors have the potential for causing devastating injuries. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to the reckless driving of another, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our winning attorneys at Jacobs & Wallace for a free consultation and review your options for seeking the justice you deserve.

Our Commitment To You:

No Fees Unless We Win

If we take your case, it will not cost you anything upfront. We represent clients statewide and handle all our injury cases on a contingency basis.
Get a Free Case Review
Let's talk about your case.
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
menu
menuchevron-down linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram