The current labor market throughout the country is still rather tight due to the 2008 economic downturn. For many workers who are fortunate to still be employed, simply having a job right now is a blessing. Unfortunately, the unintended consequence of these conditions is that the tight job market compels many of these workers to perform dangerous tasks that they might not otherwise undertake under better labor market conditions.
You need to know that putting your employer on notice of an imminent danger in your workplace is a good first step to preserving any future claims if you should get hurt later at work. Generally, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration protects workers from retaliation in cases where they have asked an employer to remove a specific danger that a reasonable person would agree could cause an imminent danger to employee health if not corrected.
Despite these protections, many employees will nevertheless still remain silent when confronted with potentially hazardous workplace situations due to fears of losing their jobs. There are a few things you should know if you chose to stay quiet and later became injured due to a workplace accident.
In a previous article on our website blog, we discussed how Illinois law provides workers’ compensation benefits for employees injured at work. Due to the severity of the harm you suffered, you may be eligible for medical benefits to pay for your treatments, compensation for your lost wages and even disability in some cases where you may be unable to return to work.
Based in Chicago, our law firm has a combined total of nearly 40 years of experience representing employees injured in workplace accidents throughout Illinois. Prospective clients should also know that our firm does not charge a fee for an initial consultation regarding workers’ compensation’s claims or appeals.