If you have suffered an eye injury on the job, we will help you understand your legal rights and options.
Eye injuries not only threaten a worker’s vision, but also his/her ability to earn a living and enjoy life. So, a worker who suffers a work related injury in the workplace deserves workers compensation benefits. In this article, we will discuss key facts about work related eye injuries.
Facts About Work Related Eye Injuries
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 25,200 eye injuries were reported during one recent year. This means, 69 eye injuries occurred each day, and 3 eye injuries per hour. These injuries resulted in at least two days of lost work. Another estimate by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that nearly 2,000 American workers suffer a work related eye injury requiring medical treatment each year.
Eye Injuries Can be Expensive
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), eye injuries cost on average $300 million each year in medical expenses, lost production time, and workers compensation benefits.
Foreign Objects in the Eye
Most injured workers see a doctor for “something in the eye”. According to Prevent Blindness America, a foreign object in the eye is the most common eye injury and constitutes 35% of them. The most common cause of work related eye injuries is contact with flying objects such as bits of glass and metal, particles, tools, chemicals or a combination of these or other hazards.
Most Eye Injuries are Preventable
According to OSHA, each year thousands of eye injuries occur that could have been prevented with the use of proper eye and face protection. Wearing appropriate protective eye gear could possibly prevent almost 90% of serious eye injuries.
Employers Must Provide Protective Eye Wear
OSHA mandates all employers to ensure the safety of all workers in the workplace, and they must provide eye and face protection whenever necessary to protect the worker against environmental, chemical, mechanical and radiological irritants. The employers must also provide adequate safety training to workers.
All Eye Injuries Must Be Reported
To be eligible for workers compensation benefits in Missouri, an injured worker has to report a work related accident or diagnosis of an injury to the employer within 30 days. Failure to report the injury in time may jeopardize your right to workers compensation benefits. So, make sure the injury is reported to the supervisor or employer in writing within the stipulated time frame. Retain a copy of the injury report for future reference.
Legal Help From a Workers Compensation Lawyer
If you have suffered an eye injury at your workplace, contact the workers compensation lawyers at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann. For more than 20 years we have helped injured St. Louis workers receive the compensation they need and deserve.
Call us today at (314) 361-4300 or fill out our online contact form to request a private consultation.