You have the right to go to work and assume you will be reasonably safe from injury. Even if you work in a more risk-prone job, your employers are obligated by law to provide you with the safest workplace possible.
Unfortunately, workplace injuries are still tragically frequent – costing employees millions in damages every year. Workplace accidents can cause damages like serious injury, unaffordable medical expenses, emotional distress, loss of capacity to work, lost income during recovery, psychological trauma, and much more.
If you’re injured at your workplace in Shreveport, you have the legal right to a personal injury claim to recover compensation. If you want legal assistance, you can reach out to the attorneys at Campbell, House & Company. However, we are not just concerned about helping you after you are injured. As a law firm concerned about your wellbeing, we also want to help prevent accidents from happening.
Keep reading to understand your rights as an employee and the responsibilities that your employer has towards you. If your rights are being violated, that is a sign of negligence on the part of your employee. Negligence can lead to accidents! Catching your employer’s negligent behavior early could help you or a coworker avoid serious injury or death.
Your Rights as an Employee
You have certain rights as an employee in the U.S., and if those rights are violated and you are injured, you are protected under personal injury law. According to OSHA, those rights include your entitlement to:
- Receive workplace safety and health training (in a language you understand)
- Work with machines that are safe (i.e. functioning correctly!)
- Receive required safety equipment that is in good condition
- Be protected from exposure to toxic chemicals (i.e. be warned of possible exposure and be reasonably protected from accidents)
- Work in a place that is regularly inspected under OSHA standards
- Have an effective channel to report workplace injuries, illnesses, or concerns
- Know about workplace injuries and illnesses that occurred in your workplace
- Have access to test results that measure workplace hazards
Your Employer’s Responsibilities
Your employer has a legal responsibility to provide a reasonably safe workplace. OSHA explains that an employer has the responsibility to:
- Provide a workplace free from serious recognized hazards
- Comply with OSHA standards, rules and regulations
- Regularly examine workplace conditions to ensure they are up to OSHA standards
- Ensure that employees are working with safe tools and properly-maintained equipment
- Use color codes, posters, labels or signs to warn employees of potential hazards
- Make sure employees follow safety and health requirements by regularly establishing and updating safe operating procedures
- Provide training using a language and vocabulary that all employees can understand
- Develop and communicate a written program to train employees on how to safely deal with hazardous chemicals in the workplace
- Provide medical examinations and training when required
- Clearly inform employees of their rights by displaying an OSHA poster or equivalent where all employees can see it.
- Report all work-related fatalities within 8 hours to the nearest OSHA office
- Report all work-related inpatient hospitalizations, amputations, and all losses of an eye within 24 hours.
- Keep records of work-related injuries and illnesses and make them available to employees.
- Provide access to medical records and exposure records as requested by employees or their authorized representatives.
- Not discriminate against employees who exercise their rights to voice concerns or report an employer’s violation of responsibilities.
- If a violation has occurred, the employer must post a corresponding OSHA citation at or near the work area involved and leave the citation posted until the violation has been corrected, or for three working days, whichever is longer.
- Correct cited violations by the deadline set in the OSHA citation and submit required documentation.
Have you been injured on the job in Shreveport, LA? If you are aware of any way that your employer has violated their responsibilities or cheated you of your rights, that information will play a pivotal role in your personal injury case! Don’t wait to get the compensation you need to cover your expenses. Talk to an attorney ASAP about your situation.
Because large companies often have their own team of attorneys, filing a case against your employer can be intimidating or even feel impossible. Companies often try to cover up their fault and negligence after an accident in order to avoid paying compensation to the victims. But Campbell, House & Company is here to fight for you! Having a personal injury attorney represent you means you can confidently move forward in telling your side of the story. A personal injury attorney can gather evidence in your favor, expose the various ways your employer was negligent and at fault, and accurately analyze the full value of your case! Call us at (318) 855-0285 or message us!
1815 Roselawn Ave
Monroe, LA 71201
(318) 855-0285
Fax: 505.764.9722