Adding Insult To Injury: The Stigma Surrounding Personal Injury Law
That the world is a dangerous place is a sentiment often told to children by their parents or mentors to their peers. With the escalation of world events in recent years, it seems as though this particular saying is not too far off from the truth. The virtues of resilience, patience, and growth are encouraged in the character of many to help overcome challenges that are often out of one's control. However, as careful as one may be, accidents and mishaps are bound to happen. When the accident occurs in one's workplace, what is the best course of action to take? Though help is offered in the form of personal injury attorneys, many may feel as though they do not qualify for such a service or may even express embarrassment over wanting to seek help in the first place.
According to statistics put out by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the rate of workplace injuries has been dropping for the past 15 years, remaining at 2.8 per 100 full-time workers. One of the top causes listed for workplace injuries is "overexertion and bodily reaction," followed by "falls, slips and trips." These are understandably common workplace mishaps, often aggravated by workers trying to meet deadlines or feeling pressured by supervisors to complete work as quickly as possible. Yet simply because these reasons may find a common place in the workplace, does not also mean that seeking help for a workplace accident or injury should be dismissed. Workers may be hesitant to seek out an attorney for fear or losing their job, being ridiculed by their co-workers or even being viewed as incompetent. Though these fears are certainly relatable to many, they should not get in the way of seeking proper help. Those that have incurred injury through their workplace should be guided to seek the counsel of a personal injury attorney to, at the very least, discuss what their options are.
Simply searching for personal injury attorneys in one's state will bring up a vast amount of information regarding who to contact. A wonderful resource that is non-state specific is the American Bar Association's website that goes over such general information as to what a standard personal injury case looks like to what happens once one files a suit. Regardless of any negative stigmas attached to seeking help from an attorney due to a workplace injury, it is always important to remember that the attorney's job is to help in that specific situation and to guide the worker through the best possible course of action for a favorable outcome.
Learn more about personal injury from a firm like Carter & Fulton, P.S.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 2019, November 7. 2018 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/iif/soii-charts-2018.pdf
American Bar Association. 2013, March 18. Personal Injury. ABA. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/public_education/resources/law_issues_for_consumers/personalinjury/
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