The Rights Of Undocumented Immigrant Workers Injured On The Job
Immigrants, including those without documentation
, work in some of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. Immigration rights and reform are major issues of the 2008 Presidential campaign. Here, in the five boroughs of New York, the immigrant community works thanklessly. As one elected official has noted, immigrant workers are lifting our entire city a few inches each day.When a worker gets hurt on the job, New York State law provides that he or she may recover what are known as workers compensation benefits. Workers compensation is insurance that provides cash benefits for lost wages and/or medical care for workers who are injured or become ill as a direct result of their job. Employers pay for this insurance, and cannot require the employee to contribute to the cost of compensation.
It is important to remember that workers compensation benefits protect all workers, including foreign workers without documentation.
Compensation for work-related injuries is not always limited to workers compensation benefits. In many instances, an employee may bring a lawsuit for compensation separate and apart from receiving workers compensation. Although an employee may not, in most cases, sue his or her employer, there may be other parties responsible for a work-related accident that can be sued.
Again, foreign workers without documentation may bring such lawsuits.
There are the three common types, (although there are others) of work-related accidents in which lawsuits may be filed in addition to filing an application for workers compensation. These are: 1) construction accidents; 2) accidents involving cars; and 3) accidents involving dangerous machines.
1. Construction Accidents
Construction work, such as carpentry, bricklaying, ironworking, and demolition, as well as painting at various elevations, can be very dangerous. Workers may breath in poisonous fumes. They may fall from great heights. Workers may be injured because of violations of building and safety codes. New York State has enacted Labor Laws that protect workers by making property owners and general contractors, not just employers, responsible for making sure that those involved in certain types of work are provided with the proper equipment and safety devices.
These Labor Laws are designed to protect workers from such things as falls from scaffolds and ladders, building collapses, falling objects, and other worksite hazards. Both the owner and the general contractor may be responsible for violations of these laws even if another contractor, such as the workers employer, was negligent.
In this type of situation, a worker may recover both benefits from his employers workers compensation insurance company and is able to sue, for money damages, the property owner and other contractors who violated the law.
2. Accidents Involving Cars
Many immigrants find employment in New York in the Citys enormous restaurant business. For those who work to deliver food in the five boroughs, a bicycle is a necessity. Unfortunately, cars often speed or drive carelessly, posing a real danger to workers on bicycles. If a bicycle deliveryman is struck and injured by a car, he is not only entitled to receive workers compensation benefits, he may also sue the driver and/or owner of the car. In the event the deliveryman is killed, not only can his family receive workers compensation death benefits, his surviving spouse and/or other relatives may sue the driver and/or owner of the car directly.
3. Accidents Involving Dangerous Machines
Community members who work in commercial bakeries and factories are often required to use dangerous machinery and equipment. For example, dough mixing machines and metal polishers have powerful motors and rapidly moving blades or grinding wheels. Too often these machines do not come with the appropriate guards or safety features, such a emergency shut-off switches. A workers hand, arm or even head may become trapped and injured in these machines. Conveyor belts also pose a real danger of injury.
If a machine malfunctions because it was not properly designed or manufactured and causes an injury, a worker may sue the manufacturer of the product to recover money damages.
When such a machine injures a worker, it is always advisable to speak with an attorney about not only a workers compensation claim, but also a possible lawsuit against the manufacturer of the equipment at issue. The time to act is as soon as possible! Expert engineers may need to investigate the accident and examine the machine. Very often the machine remains in the custody of the employer, and a Court Order must be obtained to inspect it.
Designers and manufacturers of machines may be responsible for injuries their products cause if the injured worker can demonstrate, through an attorney, that the product is unreasonably dangerous, that is, defectively designed or manufactured. For example, cutting equipment should have safety guards to prevent operators from unintentionally coming into contact with blades. Emergency shut-off switches should be present and easy to reach. Machines should never present an electrocution hazard to operators.
CONCLUSION
Your family depends upon you for support. When you are injured at work, not only is it important to get the medical care you need, it is equally critical to obtain the workers compensation benefits you are entitled to.
Compensation for lost wages and coverage for medical care can make all the difference to injured workers and their families. In the unfortunate event that you are injured, make sure that you or a family member contacts reputable, and competent ny workers injury attorneys to help you secure these benefits and determine whether or not you may also bring a lawsuit.
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