Possible rise in workers’ compensation claims in Tennessee

Tennessee employers and employees have been encouraged by the Tennessee Occupational Health and Safety Administration to focus on an awareness of safety at work. The call came after statistics for the period of January to July showed a sharp rise in work-related fatalities. This rise in fatal work-related accidents may lead to a rise in workers’ compensation claims. The majority of these accidents were preventable.

July has been a particularly bad month, as 10 workers died in accidents at their places of work. TOSHA has indicated that if the trend continues, there will be a 36 percent rise in investigations into deadly work place accidents by the administration compared to the 2014 figures. This is a clear indication that employers need to prioritize a review of safety prevention programs.

Most of the accidents during 2016 have taken place in the construction industry. The same cannot be said for 2015, when most of the fatal workplace accidents happened within the manufacturing sector. This is a clear indication that the blame cannot be laid at the door of a particular industry, but rather that all sectors of industry should focus on improving safety at work.

Fatalities at work may be upsetting for friends and co-workers, but it is the families who may be left devastated and destitute. Families of a deceased worker may be eligible for workers’ compensation, which can help them better cope with the unexpected loss of income and costs arising from the accident. It may be beneficial for a family who has lost someone due to a work accident to consult a Tennessee lawyer specializing in such claims. 

Source: workerscompensation.com, “Tennessee Seeing Spike in Workplace Fatalities“, Aug. 24 2016