Philip J. Fulton

Can technology make it safer to work on construction sites?

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office on Friday, February 15, 2019.

For the men and women who work at a construction site, each workday represents the possibility of an injury. Construction work is often hazardous, and workers frequently face an increased chance of experiencing an injury from an accident or other type of incident. It is critical for Ohio employers in this field to work diligently to protect the well-being of their employees as much as possible.

Construction safety is important, and there are many ways to improve safety and reduce the chance of an accident. In fact, the implementation of different types of technology may be the key to reducing injuries, improving safety for all construction workers and making it easier to recognize risks.

Qualifying for SSD/SSI benefits could be easier than you think

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in Qualifying for SSD/SSI Benefits on Thursday, February 7, 2019.

As we come into the new year, many make resolutions in terms of goals they have for themselves for the year. A year is a significant period of time in which, if a person sets their mind to it, can change the entire scope of a person's life. Such could easily be true if a person seeks out and qualifies for SSD/SSI benefits. What does this entail and how could it change a person's life for the better in 2019?

Most often, people want to know if they will qualify before setting off on the quest to obtain SSD/SSI benefits. It may not be clear initially if a person will qualify. Only after gathering the necessary information such as medical records, employment history and other relevant records and information, can one begin to answer that question to its fullest extent.

Differences of workers' compensation claim/personal injury claim

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, January 31, 2019.

When there has been a major incident at work, the hope is that it won't affect a person's health. However, a worker could have been involved in an incident that is physical, rather than administrative or disciplinary. These incidents can also be known as work accidents in which injuries result. How do you know if your work injury should be handled as a workers' compensation claim or a personal injury claim?

That question can be more easily answered if understanding the difference between the two claims. Workers' compensation is a form of insurance that employers are required to have in order to provide benefits to employees who are injured in a work-related accident. Personal injury claims allege negligence on behalf of their employer that resulted in their work injury.

How safe are Ohio outdoor workers in the winter?

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office on Monday, January 28, 2019.

Does your job require you to be outdoors? During the winter months, your job requirements may not change, even when the temperature drops snow and ice cover the landscape. Regardless of the type of job you have, you have the right to a reasonable expectation to safety. This applies even in the winter season when you will face exposure to the elements during the workday.

Cold stress is a real concern for the men and women who have to work outdoors in the winter. Ohio can have brutal winters, and employers should take steps to ensure their workers are safe as possible while doing their jobs. When there are no safety measures and protection protocols in place, people can suffer serious health effects caused by cold stress.

OSHA investigates Ohio fatal industrial work accident

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in workplace accidents on Thursday, January 24, 2019.

The new year is off to a challenging start for an Ohio family whose loved one was killed in a work accident. Work accidents resulting in injuries and fatalities are more common than many realize. It can happen in any industry, but certain sectors have a higher prevalence of work injury and fatalities. The man happened to work at an industrial plant in Groveland where the work accident occurred.

Probability for work injury and/or work fatality is more common for industrial workers, among others. Construction workers and other manual laborers often experience a higher risk of injury than would an office worker, for example. Details have yet to be released as to the circumstances surrounding the worker's death. OSHA has gotten involved and their investigation should reveal more insight into the cause of and details of the work accident fatality.

Wrongful death of loved one at work could be due to negligence

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in Wrongful Death on Friday, January 18, 2019.

For many, going to work is a chore, not a joy. Making ends meet for yourself and your family is top priority for those who are a main bread-winner for a family. It's true that supporting your family financially is a very important way in which to support the family unit. For those who have lost a loved one and bread-winner in a fatal work accident, it can be unimaginable to think of life without them.

There is, first and foremost, the emotional loss. With a death as sudden as a work accident can be, a family's world can be turned upside-down in an instant. From the moment a person receives the phone call notifying a person of the accident, to the days and weeks following the loss, it can be a surreal blur. The truth is, the work accident that ended your loved one's life, could have been due to another's negligence.

Are you employed in a high-risk occupation? Know your rights.

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office on Tuesday, January 15, 2019.

When you go to work every day, you are probably thinking about the things you have to do or the requirements you have to meet. You may be thinking about deadlines, your lunch break and many other things – but you are probably not thinking about the likelihood of being involved in a workplace accident. In reality, though, there are many Ohio workers that face this risk each time they clock in.

If you work in a high-risk occupation, it could be beneficial for you to know your rights in the event of a workplace accident. You could have a rightful claim to financial support through workers' compensation benefits in the event that you suffer an injury or get sick as a result of your job. It is prudent to know what steps to take and what type of benefits you could receive.

Occupational disease could be caused by silica dust

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in Workers' Compensation on Thursday, January 10, 2019.

Every worker has the right to a safe and healthy work environment. However, for some industrial and construction workers, the work environment is inherently more dangerous because of the nature of the work. While the employer is required to take precautionary steps in workplace safety, exposure isn't always successfully avoided by the employee. Occupational diseases could be the result of exposure to silica dust.

So what is silica dust and where could a person have been exposed to it? Silica dust is commonly found in industries like mining, manufacturing and construction. Silica dust affects a person when it enters the lungs and can cause a variety of illnesses. Most commonly, silicosis, which is scarring of lung tissue, lung cancer, bronchitis and tuberculosis can all manifest after repeated exposures to silica dust.

Spine injury can qualify injured for SSD benefits

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in Social Security Disability Benefits for Physical Disability on Thursday, January 3, 2019.

If a person has suffered from a life-changing injury or illness, it can affect so many aspects of their life. Obviously health and wellness can suffer greatly. If a person suffers from a debilitating injury or illness in which their spine is affected and it lasts a year or more, seeking Social Security Disability Benefits for Physical Disability could be the next move to make. This can be especially important when a person has unpaid bills and needs to make ends meet financially.

No-one wants to suffer a life-altering injury or illness, especially to a crucial body part like the spine. Spine injuries can result in permanent disability in terms of functions and abilities. It can also cause chronic pain and can also make the average day much more difficult in comparison to times when a person did not suffer from a spine injury. Here's the first step to seeking disability benefits if you have suffered a spine injury and are no longer able to work.

Worker fatalities decreasing, but not workplace accidents

On behalf of Philip J. Fulton Law Office posted in workplace accidents on Thursday, December 27, 2018.

The most recent reporting of Ohio worker accidents and fatalities showed some improvement in 2017 with fewer fatal work accidents in the private sector in 2017. However, this is a small victory as any worker fatality is one too many. The deaths still trump workers deaths in 2015, worker fatalities have steadily increased otherwise in the private sector since 2012. These numbers are reported on by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

But, the BLS is able to dig deeper into these numbers to discover more patterns. For example, certain industries declined significantly in terms of fatalities, workplace injuries and others rose dramatically. For example, construction worker fatalities were actually up, which is in contradiction to overall workplace deaths, which were less. To break it down further, jobs like roofers' had higher 2017 fatal-accident rate was 45.2 and the rate for structural iron and steel workers was 33.4.