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Workplace Injury Lawyers Ohio

Filing and resolving a workplace injury claim in Ohio can be a taxing procedure for every victim, especially when it comes to the specific rules and applications related to what work-related injuries are covered. Consult a Columbus workplace injury lawyer at Agee Clymer to make this process easier for you and your family while maximizing your potential for a positive outcome.

What Workplace Injuries are Covered Under Workers’ Compensation in Ohio?

  • Strains, sprains, and tears are the most common type of workplace injuries.
    • These injuries account for almost four out of every ten work-related injuries that cause employees to miss days on the job.
  • Lifting, carrying, and lowering heavy items are the chief culprits of workplace injuries, and the back and shoulders are their most common casualties.

Other types of injuries covered under workers' compensation:

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – often related to data entry and typing, assembling, and other repetitive uses of the fingers, hands, and wrists.
  • Burns – from food preparation, exposure to machinery, welding, and scalding liquids, including coffee, soups and other drinks.
  • Slip and Falls – on slippery floors, icy walkways, uneven surfaces, or from ladders and scaffolding.
  • Puncture Wounds – from manufacturing equipment, construction tools, protruding storage items, and high-velocity office staplers and binders.
  • Hearing Loss – common in manufacturing settings, repair shops, airport runways and baggage processing areas, and music and entertainment venues.
  • Lung and Brain Injuries – from exposure to chemicals, mold, smoke, and second-hand smoke such as is often found in restaurants and bars.
  • Bites – from bees, dogs, spiders, and other insects and animals that workers encounter in the course of performing their duties. These can result in lost work days and persistent medical problems.

Can non-visible injuries or work-related psychological injuries be covered?

Yes! Work-related anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues, even when the work-related activities only make worse preexisting conditions, may be approved.

Among the most stress-inducing jobs in Ohio are firefighters, airline pilots, police officers, teachers, psychologists, health care workers, and event coordinators. But any job that results in mental health issues or aggravates existing conditions may be eligible under BWC workers’ compensation guidelines.

Does It Matter Where the Work Injury Occurred?

No! While injuries that occur on an employer’s property (cafeteria, exercise room, restroom, and parking lot), typically qualify the employee to receive paid medical treatments, reimbursement for lost wages, and other possible claims-related benefits, workers do not have to be at their place of employment when an injury happens to qualify.

What is key in determining whether my job-related injury or illness?

What matters? The key determinant is whether an employee is hurt or becomes ill as a result of job-related actions or exposures.

  • Whether an employee is injured at a company party, professional conference, on a client/customer call, or at a business lunch, as long as the employee was present as part of his or her job responsibilities, the injury will most often be eligible for workers’ compensation.
  • Even accidents that occur while driving to or from a required company activity – but not regular commuting to and from the workplace – may be covered.

While individual cases will vary, even injuries that arise at work when an employee fails to follow established safety protocols – or is engaged in non-work-related pranks or other hijinks – may be eligible for workers’ compensation.

  • Independent contractors, domestic workers, undocumented workers, and some seasonal and agricultural workers are typically not eligible for BWC benefits.
  • The list of injuries and circumstances that do not qualify for workplace injury benefits generally includes those claims that arise from activities that have nothing to do with work or result during the commission of a crime.
  • When alcohol or narcotics are involved, the eligibility determination is often murky. It is important to consult a Columbus workplace injury lawyer such incidents to make sure you don’t get stacked with unnecessary paperwork.