The phrase “putting profit over people” refers to any situation where an employer disregards safety protocols in order to save money or make a profit. This type of flawed decision-making occurs day in and day out. Common examples include:
• An employer failing to salt or sand a snowy walkway. Slip and fall injuries are often serious and in some cases, fatal. We have represented numerous clients who suffered permanent injuries after on-the-job fall down accidents. Failing to remove snow or ice in a timely fashion is a blatant example of employer negligence.
• An employer failing to train employees. Proper training is crucial, especially when employees work with heavy equipment, chemicals, or perform any type of physical labor. When an employer fails to provide their employees with adequate training they are putting their entire team at risk.
• An employer understaffing. Understaffing is one of the most common ways employers cut costs. When an employer understaffs employees are often left with unreasonable workloads. Not only does understaffing put employees at a greater risk for injury, but it also increases the risk of injury for innocent bystanders. The nursing home industry is notoriously understaffed. This adds significant physical and mental stress to nursing home employees. Nursing home residents depend on staff to disburse medications, provide meals, and aide in mobility. When there isn’t enough staff scheduled to meet the basic needs of residents, the consequences can be serious and even fatal.
Understaffing in high-risk industries, like the construction industry and the transportation industry is especially dangerous. Employees in these industries often work as a team to complete tasks. When the ‘team’ is lacking, it forces employees to cut corners and put themselves at risk for serious harm.
We recently settled a case on behalf of an experienced battery technician. Our client spent years installing, maintaining, and inspecting batteries on heavy machineries, like forklifts. Our client was sent to a job site in Yaphank, NY to swap out a forklift battery which weighed well over a ton. Instead of assigning a seasoned technician to assist our client in swapping the massive battery, the company assigned a junior employee who had only been operating that particular type of forklift for a short time. The junior employee made a serious error, and in doing so crushed our client’s hands. Our client had to have 2 fingers amputated. Had the junior employee been properly trained the entire situation could have been avoided.
Chances are you know somebody who has been injured on the job. While certain industries are more high-risk than others, any employer, regardless of industry, who doesn’t take adequate safety steps is doing a grave injustice to the employees who depend on them.
On-the-job injuries typically result in steep medical bills, lost wages, and an inability to complete day-to-day tasks. The experienced worker’s compensation lawyers of Jacoby & Meyers, LLP has years of experience successfully representing injured workers. If your injuries were caused by your employer’s negligence, our personal injury lawyers will hold them accountable. If you are too injured to travel to one of our offices throughout New York and New Jersey, we’ll come to you.
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