According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 20,000 workers suffer an on-the-job eye injury each year. Due to the severity of these injuries, and what it can mean for injured workers who lose their sight, estimates suggest that workplace eye injuries cost roughly $300 million a year in lost productivity, medical expenses and workers’ compensation claims. Today, we take a closer look at eye injuries in the workplace, and how you can earn compensation for these injuries.
Eye Dangers In the Workplace
There are a number of different eye safety hazards in the workplace depending on the type of work you perform. Here’s a look at some of the more common dangers to your vision in the workplace.
- Flying objects
- Air particles
- Chemicals
- Mechanical malfunctions
- Improper machine use
The easiest way to protect your eyes from these types of injuries is to wear protective eye gear at all times. Whether you’re welding, sanding or using tools, it’s a good idea to wear eye protection. Many jobs require workers to wear protective gear, and while they may have it on their persons or on their head, if they aren’t covering your eyes, they aren’t doing you any good. All it takes is a tiny piece of metal or glass to make it’s way into your eye to result in permanent eye damage, so always have your eye gear on in the workplace.
Compensation For Eye Injuries At Work
If you’ve suffered an eye injury in the workplace, you are entitled to pursue compensation. This is true for both major and minor eye injuries. Even if you don’t think the eye injury is serious, report the incident to your supervisor right away. Some people fail to report the injury in hopes that their eye will get better in a day or two, but when it doesn’t, it can be much more difficult to win compensation because you waited to report the injury.
After reporting the eye injury, the next thing you should do is seek medical assistance or call a workers’ compensation lawyer. Which one you do first depends on the severity of your eye injury, although you may be able to contact a lawyer while you’re on the way to the hospital. The biggest reason why you’ll want to call a lawyer is because an eye injury can have a significant impact in your ability to work down the road. Even if the damage doesn’t result in blindness, it could contribute to vision problems down the road, and you’ll want to be sure you were fairly compensated if that ever happens.
Your lawyer will take a look at the medical reports and ask about your work duties in order to file for an appropriate judgment award. Many clients enjoy having a lawyer on their side for this part of the case because it allows them to focus solely on their health. Our lawyers will be with your every step of the way until your claim is resolved, so there’s no need to worry if something doesn’t go exactly as planned.
To learn more about how we win compensation awards for injured Minnesotans, reach out to Hey Workers today.
