Most types of jobs come with a certain risk and some are more obvious than others. Construction workers are usually at risk of serious physical injuries since they deal with heavy machinery and manual labor. Office workers can be at risk for eye strain and carpal tunnel. Firefighters and police officers may be hurt in the line of duty whether it's from capturing a perpetrator or getting a burn while carrying someone out of a burning building.However, first-responders like firefighters and police officers may also be at risk for a less obvious injury. Psychological injuries can be just as damaging as any physical injury and unfortunately, they are not uncommon in high-risk jobs.But will your workers' compensation provide you with benefits for injuries that are unseen?Are mental and psychiatric troubles [...]

Work site managers, foremen, and regulatory agencies all strive to make construction sites, warehouses and other industrial zones as safe as possible. But accidents do happen in these busy and vibrant environments.When a worker suffers an injury, he or she must report it immediately, file a claim with the insurance company. Then the insurance company specifies the rehab program that injured worker must complete.Some injuries are so serious that a full complete recovery is not possible, or the worker will lose a body part or the function of that body part. The insurance company will pay a cash benefit for a specific type of loss. New York State has a Schedule Loss of Use for injuries incurred on the job.Worker eligibilityAs part of your workers' comp claim, a doctor will [...]

A recent deadly crane accident should serve as a warning to New York construction workers and their employers about how important it is to stay safe around these devices.In another major city in the country, a crane that was assisting with the construction of a major corporate building suddenly collapsed, falling down to the intersection below.Two workers who were on the crane at the time of the accident died, as did two people in vehicles into which the crane smashed. Other people suffered injuries. The crane itself split in two, and part of it seriously damaged the building under construction.While the cause of the collapse will likely be under investigation for several months, early reports were that the crane was being taken apart when high winds moved in to the [...]

You probably know about the typical consequences of an impaired driving conviction: a license suspension, a fine, even possible jail time. But what you might not know is that anyone convicted of driving while intoxicated (DWI) in New York state must install an ignition interlock device (IID) in any vehicle they drive during their sentence.How does an IID work?An IID is a device that tests for the presence of alcohol on your breath before you're able to start your car and again while you're driving.If it measures your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as above .025, the car will not start. Conversely, it asks for a breath samples again at random intervals while driving. If you do not provide a sample or if your BAC is above the limit, the IID [...]