Rancho Mirage Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Even though safety advocates have named this week "Farm Safety Week," you likely understand the importance of taking safety measures every day on the job. It is not easy for these advocates to reach an accurate count of how many people suffer injuries in farm-related accidents since no system exists for collecting this information. However, based on news stories and other outlets, researchers believe the number is higher than 50 so far this year.

Working in the California agricultural industry is physically challenging, and you likely feel the aches and pains of your labors at the end of most days. However, it may only take a split second for a farm accident to change your life forever.

Many California workers across the Coachella Valley know that state laws require their employers to step up and financially compensate them when they suffer workplace injuries. We note on our website at the experienced workers’ compensation law firm of English Lloyd & Armenta that an employee forced to miss work while recuperating from an injury is “entitled to temporary disability payments and medical payments.”

Legions of injured workers don’t know this, though: They are also often entitled to receive financial support from a second source as well. In the event that their on-the-job injury owed to third-party negligence, they might also be able to receive compensation by filing and prevailing in a personal injury lawsuit.

For many people, cooking is something they enjoy. You may be among those who delight in preparing a meal for your family or using some creativity to turn a tried and true recipe into something uniquely your own. Of course, you know how to take precautions to avoid injuries in your home, such as handling your knife a certain way and cleaning up spills to avoid slipping. In fact, you may rarely hurt yourself in your own kitchen.

However, if you cook in a restaurant for a living, it's not the same as when you cook at home. For one thing, the pace is much faster at work. You may have people shouting orders, returning food from unhappy customers or racing around a crowded kitchen. If you suffer an injury on the job, it can be much more serious than an injury in your own kitchen.

The U.S. can’t agree on much right now, but we can all agree on one thing: it has been a hot summer. Temperatures are spiking across the nation, including here in California. The heat isn’t just a problem for those who love to spend time outdoors. It is a hazard for those who work outside and those who work indoors in warehouses, bakeries, foundries and other already-hot environments.

Excessive heat can cause dangerous medical conditions like heat stroke and dehydration. It can also make workers less focused and more prone to workplace accidents. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a web page dedicated to safety in high-heat environments.