Compensation For Your Workplace Burn Injury

In most states, including New Jersey, workers’ compensation generally prevents employees from recovering damages for their workplace burn injuries outside of the workers’ compensation scheme.  However, with the average New Jersey employee receiving only $603 per claim in 2016, it is critical that injured workers well understand the claims process and its evidentiary requirements to get adequate compensation for their injuries.

If your burn injuries were caused by someone besides your employer, you may be able to file a third-party lawsuit.  This may be the case if the machinery or equipment that you were injured by was defective or faulty or if your injury was caused by vendor or sub-contractor of your employer.  Damages can include medical expenses, pain and suffering, time lost from work, and future earnings that are precluded by your injuries.

Don’t Get the Third Degree | Workplace Burn Prevention

The World Health Organization estimates that burn accidents account for at least 180,000 deaths each year. While most of these burns take place at home, a significant percentage of burn accidents are workplace-related.

Burns are the worst form of injuries a human body can suffer. Unfortunately, many workplaces expose employees to numerous burn injury threats. From electrical currents to open flames, burn accidents in the workplace aren’t a new phenomenon.

Despite the standards set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a burn accident remains an important concern for many organizations.

OSHA has reported that there are more than 5,000 work-related burn injuries in the U.S. each year. 8% of all burn injuries occur on the job. These burns can be: First-degree – Superficial burns with minimal skin damage; Second degree – Burns than go beyond the top layer of skin, which can cause blisters, pain and swelling; or Third degree – Burns that destroy the skin and tissue underneath, causing permanent damage.

Burns are a global public health problem, accounting for an estimated 265,000 deaths annually. In the United States, burn injuries are second only to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. The majority of these burns occur in the home, but burns in the workplace account for a major proportion of all burns. Statistics from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) show that more than 5,000 burn injuries occur in the United States annually as a result of work-related fires and explosions. Burns in the workplace are a major social and economic threat to individuals, families, and the community as a whole.

Every year for National Burn Awareness week, the American Burn Association brings attention to burn injuries that result in over 40,000 hospitalizations per year. While a very large majority of these burns actually occur in the home, workplace burns are a very preventable source of injury. Awareness, hazard prevention and protection can dramatically lessen the risk of burns in the workplace.