While working in the lab may seem like a monotonous job for many in Aurora, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be serious accidents, too. In a recent lab accident, a worker was injured when he was exposed to chemicals and glass. Firefighters responded to the accident and noticed injuries to his face. It is still unknown, however, how seriously he was injured, as well as what kind of time he will need to recuperate and recover from this potentially serious accident.
Of course, there are risks that come with any job and working in a lab is no different than some of the more well-known “dangerous” professions. An employer, however, has a duty to identify what those dangers and risks are and to ensure that there are sufficient protections in place to avoid them. Sadly, not all employers are going to be able to eliminate all risks, and sometimes there are accidents that happen that are truly out of an employer’s control. Regardless of how an employee is injured, there are often ways for him or her to get benefits.
One of the benefits that employees are often in need of is lost wage benefits. Lost wage benefits do just what they say: they replace the wages an employee who is temporarily disabled would be making if he or she was not injured. They will not completely replace the wages, but they may consist of up to two-thirds of an individual’s wages.
Colorado has a no-fault workers’ comp system, which means that as long as someone was accidentally injured, it doesn’t matter who was at fault when applying for benefits. This means that someone injured in a laboratory would likely be eligible for important benefits, like lost wage benefits, following a serious chemical exposure.
Source: NBC 7 San Diego, “Lab Worker Injured in Test Tube Accident,” Monica Garske, March 24, 2013
If you need to learn more about how to apply for lost wage benefits in Denver, please visit our website.
