Workplace Injuries During 12-Hour Shifts

Extended 12-hour shifts in various industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, and emergency services, pose significant injury risks due to physical and mental strain. These workers often experience fatigue, poor decision-making, and increased accidents. Healthcare workers often lift patients and operate heavy equipment, putting them at risk for back and musculoskeletal injuries.

Manufacturing workers face heavy machinery and high-risk environments, leading to burns and severe cuts. Emergency services personnel face high-stress situations, causing physical and emotional strain. And transportation workers face constant driving hours, increasing the risk of accidents. Understanding these risks helps implement preventative measures and ensure legal support for workplace injuries.

Common Industries with 12-Hour Shifts and Injury Risks

Industries that require 12-hour shifts are some of the most physically and mentally demanding environments, where the risk of injury is ever-present. In healthcare settings, doctors and nurses work tirelessly around the clock, constantly on their feet, […]

What Is an Aggravation of a Preexisting Condition or Injury?

You may be eligible for compensation if you were injured on the job or in an accident resulting from the negligence of another party. You can seek compensation by filing an insurance claim or lawsuit.

However, your case may be uniquely complex if you have a preexisting condition. Along with compensation for any new injuries you may have sustained, you may also deserve compensation for the aggravation of a preexisting condition. Proving you deserve this compensation could be challenging, though.

Understanding Aggravation of a Preexisting Condition

What is an aggravation of a preexisting condition or injury? In a legal context, aggravation of a preexisting condition means that the condition was made permanently worse. This differs from exacerbation. When someone sustains an exacerbated injury, their previous injury temporarily worsens. However, said preexisting injury is likely to return to its previous state over time. […]

How to Report Unsafe Working Conditions in Pennsylvania

If you’re working in Pennsylvania and you have discovered or you have been injured by unsafe conditions at work, you should know your rights and the steps you can take to protect yourself and your coworkers.

The workers’ compensation attorneys here at Munley Law firm have put together this guide to help you understand the laws that protect you, how to report any hazards you find, and what to do if you get hurt on the job.

Laws Pertaining to Unsafe Working Conditions in Pennsylvania

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 governs workplace safety at the federal level. In Pennsylvania, the state’s laws work in tandem with OSHA to ensure that employers provide safe working environments for their employees. Employers are legally required to identify and address workplace hazards and any safety violations to prevent accidents and injuries. […]

What’s the Difference Between Permanent and Temporary Disability?

If you’ve been hurt at work and are now undergoing the workers’ compensation benefits forms, you’ll likely see words like temporary disability benefits and permanent disability benefits. Ultimately, your medical improvement will determine the types of workers’ compensation coverage you qualify for. However, these two categories can make a great deal of difference in your compensation for your work-related injury.

In general, your workers’ comp claim can get you financial compensation for medical bills, loss of wages, and future earnings loss in the case of long-term disability.

Before you begin the process, contact a workers’ comp attorney who can guide you to ensure you get the financial benefits you are legally entitled to.

Understanding the Difference Between Temporary and Permanent Disability in Workers’ Comp Cases

The main difference between temporary and permanent disability is when the injured cannot work. […]

Will My Employer Hold My Job While I Recover From a Work Injury?

Workers’ compensation benefits offer you a lot of things, like compensation for medical care, specific loss benefits, and payment of lost wages. But it doesn’t guarantee you’ll have a job to return to once your work-related injury or illness has recovered.

Pennsylvania is an at-will employment state, which means you can be let go from your position at any time, so long as it is not for a discriminatory reason. That would include filing for workers’ comp.

However, if your employer needs your job position to be active, for example, if you’re a full-time employee for a construction firm and are in the middle of a deadlined build, they have a right to replace you. But, when you return, they must offer you a suitable job replacement.

The only way to avoid at-will employment laws is to have stipulations in your employee contract or belong to the union. […]