Bad Company: Taking On Big Bad Companies When They've Hurt You
Working for a good company can make you healthy and wealthy. Working for a bad company, well, it does quite the opposite. Each year thousands of people suffer injuries and illnesses as a direct result of irresponsible companies doing even worse things to their employees. What is even more despicable are the companies that deny their employees workers compensation after exposing them to the stuff that made them sick or endangering them with potentially lethal accident situations. Here is how to fight back.
Find the Injury Reports for the Month in Which You Were Injured
Employees often are entitled to the injury reports based on the counts of injuries and types of injuries incurred. While you may not have access to all of the names of the people who became ill or injured as a result of company practices, noticeably high numbers with low to no worker's compensation paid out is a red flag legally, morally and ethically. If the reports also list what areas of the plant or company have the most injuries and job-related illnesses, that is equally important information to a workers compensation attorney.
Ask Around (Discreetly)
If there are any other employees willing to talk about their injuries and illnesses, talk to them discreetly. See what they were told about worker's compensation and take some notes on their current physical states. (Do so outside of work so that your notes remain with you at home and not at work, where company supervisors could find them.) You may have all the workings of a class action suit, which is a really big deal to worker's compensation lawyers.
Do a Little Digging
OSHA is the organization that overseas employee health and welfare in the workplace. If they have not caught on yet to the number of health issues occurring in the plant or building, find out why. Do not blow the whistle just yet! The bad business you are working for may be doctoring reports for OSHA investigators, or worse, not filing reports at all. You cannot dig this information up at work, but you can ask OSHA about work injuries and health reports on any one company. Then you can see if the reports you dug up match OSHA's records from the same company. If not, something very fishy is going on, and your worker's compensation lawyer can help you get to the bottom of it, as well as get compensation for you and everyone else who has been denied.