St. Louis Legal Blog

After getting hit by a vehicle, it can be difficult to keep in mind all of the best practices to document the incident. Still, staying calm and taking stock of the situation can be important not only for immediate needs but also for dealing with insurance companies and Missouri authorities. Car accidents can cause serious property damage as well as major injuries that can keep people out of work or require hospitalization. By keeping some key tips in mind, a crash victim can help to support their recollection of the incident.

A victim will need to tell their story to insurance adjusters, police and potentially lawyers. That's why it's important to carefully take in information at a crash scene. Of course, dealing with medical emergencies is the most important issue. Calling 911 can summon emergency aid to the scene, including police and emergency medical personnel. In general, it is best to leave the car accident scene as it is, but in some places it can be dangerous to do so. When safety is an issue, it's wise to move the involved vehicles to the side of the road and wait for the police to arrive.

Winter brings cold temperatures to parts of Missouri, and people in many occupations could experience symptoms of cold stress. Outdoor workers in industries such as construction and agriculture face the cold weather head on, but risks could affect indoor workers as well. People who labor in cold storage areas, wet conditions or in workplaces without heat could succumb to cold stress, which ultimately leads to hypothermia.

Dropping internal body temperatures reduce dexterity and sometimes cause slurred speech. Symptoms become severe when the body temperature falls to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. A person with a core temperature down to 78 degrees faces possible brain damage and death.

Many of the accidents that occur at construction sites in Missouri involve scaffolding. In fact, scaffolding accidents collectively cost U.S. employers $90 million annually in lost work days due to related injuries. Improper scaffolding consistently ranks as one of the top OSHA violations. It's also estimated that more than 2 million construction workers, representing nearly 70 percent of the construction industry, frequently perform work involving scaffolding. This is why OSHA has established scaffolding-related guidelines to help improve worker safety when scaffolding is used.

According to OSHA, the first step an employer can take to reduce workers' compensation claims related to scaffolding accidents is to firmly secure it. Scaffolding must be accessible by ladders and stairwells, placed 10 feet away from power lines and able to support its own weight along with four times its maximum load capacity without displacement or settling. The agency also prohibits the use of barrels, concrete blocks and other unstable objects to support scaffolds or planks. Also, a competent person must supervise scaffolding dismantling and movement.

All companies should have a policy in place stating what should happen when a worker sustains an injury on the job. It is vital for certain industries in particular to have such a policy. In 2017, the jobs with the highest rates of workplace injuries were laborers, truck drivers and janitors. 

Many companies will have employees go to a company-specified doctor. You should listen to this doctor's advice, but it is also a good idea to seek a second opinion if the doctor tells you anything you are skeptical of. There are signs a company doctor may not have your best interests at heart, so watch out when he or she does the following.