An injury on the job, especially one resulting from a serious accident, can put a worker out of commission for a significant amount of time. Workers’ compensation helps to provide a safety net for those who are injured while on the job. Some people in Arizona work around large equipment, hazardous materials. Others travel long distances on the road for their jobs. An accident while on the road that results in a concussion, back injury or other ailment can be especially difficult.
An officer for the Arizona Department of Public Safety was injured in an accident along U.S. 60 in Mesa recently. According to the DPS, the officer was writing a note for a routine traffic stop and had parked on the right shoulder of the road when he was hit from behind by a pickup truck. The pickup truck hit the parked patrol car’s corner and the truck flipped over. One officer said that failure to move and distracted driving may have been aspects in the crash. Both the officer and pickup driver were injured in the accident, but the injuries were not life threatening.
Workers’ compensation can help compensate for lost income when an employee has to miss work to recover from an injury. The system in Arizona can take time to understand because there are certain steps that need to be completed before receiving workers’ compensation. If a claim is denied, it can be hard to be heard without legal representation. It’s important to get the proper medical treatment, including physical therapy for significant injuries that take time to recuperate from.
A road injury can be especially traumatic, especially if someone is hit from behind by another vehicle. An injury can manifest itself days after an accident. Workers’ compensation benefits can help with medical and other expenses as they come up.
Source: MyFoxPhoenix.com, “Arizona officer, driver injured in Mesa accident,” Associated Press, May 5th, 2014
