What Jobs Put Workers at the Most Risk for Wrongful Death in Tennessee?
Posted in Wrongful death on November 16, 2022
Workers in Tennessee can face on-the-job risks each day, particularly those who work in higher-risk industries. When we look at information available from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), we can see that those who work in the material moving occupations, construction industry, and extraction occupations accounted for approximately 50% of all fatal workplace injuries during the latest reporting year on file. However, we want to examine which industries place the most risk on workers in Tennessee.
Dangerous Tennessee Occupations
During the most recent reporting year of data on file, we can see that there were 142 total fatal injuries in the workplace. Of these incidents, 123 involved men, and 19 involved women.
Some of the workplace fatalities in Tennessee have little to do with the type of workplace, including fatalities involving workplace violence and workplace deaths that occur as a result of animal bites or attacks. Violence in the workplace often involves assaults that occur between co-workers or individuals who have nothing to do with the workplace attacking an employee.
Other dangerous occupations can be broken down into the following groups:
Service occupations
Service occupations span a wide range of types of jobs in Tennessee. This includes, but is not limited to, food preparation and serving, building and grounds cleaning or maintenance, healthcare support occupations, and personal care occupations.
Sales and office occupations
It may not seem like sales and office jobs present hazards, but they do. Again, individuals can be assaulted in any job, and accidents can occur anywhere. These types of jobs include sales-related occupations, office administrative occupations, and office support occupations.
Natural resources, construction, and maintenance
This is a broad umbrella of types of jobs in Tennessee and is one of the most dangerous categories for workers. These types of jobs include farming and forestry, construction and extraction operations, as well as installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.
Production, transportation, and material moving
This category of occupations is the most dangerous in Tennessee, at least during the latest reporting year of data on file. This includes factory and production work as well as transportation and material moving operations. Tractor-trailer drivers and large vehicle operators typically fall under this umbrella of jobs.
What if You Get Hurt at Work
If you or somebody you care about sustains a workplace injury, you should be able to recover compensation for the losses. Most employers in Tennessee are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This type of coverage will usually provide complete coverage of medical bills for a person who sustains an on-the-job injury. Additionally, individuals will likely receive a major portion of lost wages if they cannot work due to a disability.
In some situations, individuals may be able to file a third-party wrongful death lawsuit in Nashville against the at-fault party. This is only an option available if the injury occurs as a result of a party aside from the employer or co-worker, such as a contractor, subcontractor, or another negligent party. Third-party lawsuits do not guarantee automatic compensation like the workers’ comp coverage will, and plaintiffs will have to prove the negligence of the other party in order to successfully recover the money they need.