Newton Workers' Compensation

Newton, Massachusetts is seven miles west of downtown Boston and is considered a suburb of Middlesex County. Newton is bordered by Brighton, Brookline, Watertown, Wellesley, and Needham. Newton has repeatedly been recognized as one of the best places to live in the United States, and its proximity to Boston means that many people live in Newton and commute to the city to work. However, Newton also provides many jobs, with its two largest employers including Newton-Wellesley Hospital and Boston College.

Unfortunately, workers in Newton, MA face many of the same risks that employees do everywhere: the risk of injuries due to improper training, lack of safety protocols or failure to follow workplace safety rules. Whenever a worker is hurt on the job, regardless of how it happened, workers’ compensation benefits are available to make it possible for medical bills to be covered and the injured employee to support himself and his family. An experienced Newton, MA workers’ compensation attorney at the Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers can help employees to make a workers’ comp claim for damages.

The majority of workers in Newton, MA are employed in management, business, and finance occupations, according to City Facts. As many as 24.2 percent of area employees work in this field. Other top sectors in Newton include educational, legal services, community service, and arts occupations; sales and office occupations; and computer, engineering and science occupations. Respectively, these sectors employ 22.8 percent of the population, 16.3 percent of the Newton workers; and 13.5 percent of those in the Newton area.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that even workers providing professional and business services face potentially deadly workplace risks. In 2013, for example, a total of 408 workers in this sector lost their lives at work. This includes eight fatalities at law offices; 31 deaths of workers in the architecture field, and 17 deaths among workers providing engineering services.

The risk of workplace deaths in any sector is significantly increased if employers fail to follow regulations designed to protect employees. For example, a Newton Massachusetts medical provider was cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for willful, serious violations of safety regulations related to biohazard exposure protection. Proposed penalties totaled $46,900 after medical workers complained that needles used to treat cancer patients weren’t safety-engineered, thus putting employees at risk of needlestick injuries. OSHA found that safer needle systems were available but not being used to protect workers.

Workers face many risks on the job including:

• Fall injuries.
• Overexertion injuries.
• Exposure to toxic chemicals or hazardous substances.
• Slip and trip injuries.
• Repetitive use/ repetitive stress injuries such as carpal tunnel.
• Electrical injuries including burns.

Whenever a worker gets hurt because of his or her work tasks, the employer is responsible regardless of whether safety precautions were followed. A worker should receive workers’ compensation benefits, including payment of medical costs, loss of wages and disability income. Workers need to report injuries to their employers to receive these benefits. If a dispute arises, workers may also submit Employee Claim - Form 110 to the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents for help resolving the disagreement over benefits. Our law firm can assist with initial work injury claims as well as in resolving coverage and benefits disputes.

Schedule your free consultation with a Newton workers’ compensation lawyer at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers. Call (617) 777-7777 or contact us online.