Maryland Workers Compensation Blog

Drivers: Make road safety a priority this winter

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, December 20, 2019.

Every driver knows that the weather can play a huge role in their safety when they are out on the road. It is one of the primary factors that can affect the severity of car crashes, along with drunk driving, speeding and not wearing a seat belt.

Bad weather also seems to make reckless drivers even more dangerous. Maryland's winters are always filled with bad weather which only increases the chance of catastrophic accidents. That is why drivers must ensure they are taking extra precautions this winter to stay safe on the roads.

Amazon under fire again for putting workers at risk

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Workplace Injuries on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.

In a past blog post, we discussed how the risk of work injuries spikes significantly in Amazon warehouses during busy retail seasons, such as Amazon's Prime Day or the recent Black Friday sale event.

The holiday shopping season is certainly a factor that could increase the risk of employees suffering serious injuries on the job. However, it seems that Amazon employees are suffering a high rate of injuries year-round.

For older workers, occupational injuries can quickly turn fatal

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Workplace Injuries on Friday, December 13, 2019.

The traditional retirement age might be 65, but a significant number of workers are putting off retirement and staying on the job longer than ever before.

There are several reasons people are working past age 65, from simple enjoyment of their job to financial needs.

Preventing a work injury could be as simple as wearing gloves

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Industrial Workers' Injuries on Tuesday, December 3, 2019.

The injuries that workers fear the most are usually catastrophic ones, from a broken leg to a traumatic brain injury. There is no doubt that these injuries are incredibly harmful and life-changing for workers, however many workers might not consider just how dangerous and stressful smaller injuries they suffer on the job might be as well.

Study: Maryland drivers can influence the rate of seat belt use

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Friday, November 29, 2019.

Believe it or not, federal law has only required auto manufacturers to include seat belts in cars for a little more than 50 years.

In just a few decades, seat belt use became commonplace and even required by law to protect individuals in the event of a car accident. Yet, we still face many challenges when it comes to taking advantage of the easiest way to prevent severe injuries in a crash.

Transportation accidents top cause for fatal work injuries

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Workers' Compensation on Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

Many individuals who work in the transportation industry say they are lucky since they get to travel for a living. However, being on the road has its fair share of risks, just like any other workplace.

Transportation workers understand that, but the recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics highlighting their incredibly high risk of suffering work injuries and fatalities might still come as a shock.

How long does it take to recover from a brain injury?

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Car Accidents on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that auto accidents are the second leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) across the country each year.

One of the most common questions individuals have after sustaining an injury in a catastrophic car accident is how long it will take them to recover. They worry about missing work, as well as how their family will fare without their help around the house or financial assistance.

New law covering firefighters' cancer leads to action

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, November 14, 2019.

On October 1, the monumental law expanding firefighter’s workers’ compensation coverage for cancer went into effect. Maryland laws have held presumptions to cover firefighter’s work-related cancer for some time, but this increased coverage is significant to help these first responders obtain the compensation they need if they suffer from occupational diseases and cancers. The law specifically covers various types of cancers, including:

Leukemia
Prostate cancer
Breast cancer
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
Brain cancer
Testicular cancer
Rectal cancer
Throat cancer
Multiple myeloma

However, this law seems to be having much more influence than expanding coverage. It is also increasing awareness of this risk firefighters face – as well as the action to mitigate that risk.

Women are often disproportionately affected by workplace injuries

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Workplace Injuries on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.

Many reports indicate that there are still inequalities in the workplace between men and women. It might be in the lack of executive positions women hold or the wage gap, but there are still disparities today in 2019.

However, women in the workforce face another dangerous inequality in the rate of work injuries they suffer.

Workers must understand the dangers of stress

On behalf of Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg, P.A. posted in Workplace Accidents on Monday, November 4, 2019.

Back in May, the World Health Organization (WHO) made waves when it reported that worker burnout was a dangerous phenomenon impacting nearly every field of employment. WHO states that burnout is the consequence of extreme stress in the workplace caused by the work environment, hours or duties.

Although employees cannot collect workers' compensation for solely experiencing stress or burnout, regardless of the WHO designation, it is still critical to take a look at how harmful-and dangerous-stress can be for employees.