Airline employees are the mostly unseen glue that keep our travel plans together. Whether you are traveling for work, to see family or taking a vacation, you can count on the efforts of hundreds of individuals to make sure pilots get the support they need, and your luggage arrives in the right city.
The people who work on the tarmac are exposed to several workplace hazards on a daily basis. Repetitive stress injuries from hauling bags are common, as are accidents involving baggage carts. Sometimes injuries are much more severe, though. That was the situation in New Jersey last winter when an United Airlines employee was rolled over by a jet bridge.
Worker run over by jet bridge
According to Newsweek, on February 28th of this year an United Airlines flight from Aruba was returning to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. A 34-year-old employee, still unnamed, was on the ground working as part of the team which helped passengers disembark from the flight.
Something went wrong as the employee helped to guide the jet bridge from the terminal to the plane, and had the jet bridge roll over his leg. Few details were released regarding the accident. The employee was quickly brought to University Hospital in Newark according Port Authority spokesman Joseph Pentangelo.
Injured while doing your job
One of the best steps this employee, or any employee, can take after an on-the-job injury is to apply for workers’ compensation. Workers’ comp will help you pay for medical care, reimburse wages you miss while recovering and many other expenses. Workers’ compensation can even repay the wages of family members who take time off work to care for you.
The application process for workers’ comp can be intimidating and is often confusing. Enlisting the help of a professional will help you get through the mountains of paperwork and red tape quickly. They will also negotiate with your employer and insurance to earn you the largest award or settlement possible.
In the event that your claim is rejected, a professional attorney will also aggressively argue on your behalf to get your claim approved. Some airlines are notorious for trying to deny their injured employees workers’ comp benefits – having the right representation is vital in those situations.
While the United Airlines employees’ injuries were deemed non-life threatening, any number of complications could have occurred and led to heavy medical bills. Be safe while you work and don’t be afraid to make use of employee benefits – like workers’ compensation – if you are in an accident.
