What Are You Doing To Plan For The Unexpected?

As the past few years have shown us, things can often take unpredictable turns for the worst. This is not an exception in our own daily lives. We can’t always guarantee that we’ll be prepared for misfortune to strike, but it’s possible to set yourself up to better bounce back if you have a clear understanding of your options and the actions you should take in the aftermath of a disaster.

Road-Related Accidents

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that accidents are the fourth most common cause of death in the United States, coming in behind heart disease, cancer, and covid-19, with approximately 200,955 deaths in the past year. While this number takes into account deaths from more than just road-related accidents alone, it is still important to consider how common these kinds of incidents really are. Car accidents–no matter how severe–occur roughly thirteen times every minute across the United States. 

Even if you’re lucky enough to survive a wreck, you could still find yourself facing serious setbacks and instability in your life after the event, including expenses due to vehicle damage, inability to work due to injuries sustained in the accident, and potential loss of a loved one. You might have questions about where to go after this event, and what you’re owed both from your insurance company and the other party involved in the incident.

The first step in the right direction after experiencing a traumatic event such as a car accident is to make sure that you have the right people in your corner–legally. Personal Injury Lawyers can help you understand exactly what compensation you are entitled to in the wake of misfortune, keeping you from paying out-of-pocket for auto repairs, medical bills, and any lost wages. Personal Injury Lawyers can also help to remedy any loss experienced by demanding financial compensation for any mental pain or suffering caused as a direct result of the guilty party’s negligence. 

Of course, being prepared also means being proactive. The most effective way to lessen your own personal suffering is to do all that you can to avoid the possibility of these situations altogether, since, ultimately, we are only able to control our own actions.

Work-Related Accidents

While work-related accidents are not as common as road-related accidents, they still occur at an alarming rate of once every seven seconds in the United States. As an American worker, you are entitled to a safe workplace under federal law. The United States Department of Labor regulates workplace safety through OSHA (The Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

OSHA provides a list of rules and regulations for companies to follow to ensure the safety of their workers–ranging from the proper use of equipment and protective gear to employee safety training.  When a company fails to comply with OSHA standards, and this results in the injury or loss of life of an employee, OSHA has the right to fine the company for negligence, and the employee–or the employee’s family–is entitled to compensation.

Even if all OSHA regulations are followed, it is, of course, still possible for workers to obtain injuries while on the job. Accidents are a part of life, as understood by the United States Department of Labor–which is why they created Workers’ Compensation. Workers’ Compensation is exactly what it sounds like–a program that provides disability compensation for people who are injured in the workplace. This compensation covers medical bills related to the work-obtained injuries, as well as any wage loss that occurs if the victim is unable to return to work as a result of their injuries. 

It is important to have a clear understanding of both of these programs in the entirely possible case that you find yourself needing the benefits that they provide. Workers’ Compensation is not eligible in certain situations, such as; unforeseen ‘acts of God’ or the unavoidable spread of disease. You can’t receive Workers’ Compensation for catching the flu or the common cold from someone else in the workplace. And, while OSHA provides clear guidelines for companies when it comes to safety regulations, it is equally important that the employees follow proper safety procedures while carrying out potentially dangerous tasks. 

Take the extra step to guarantee your own safety in the workplace. Be sure to follow all training protocols when your own well-being is at risk. Wear the proper safety equipment while handling heavy machinery or harsh chemicals–and always have a plan for what to do if things go wrong.

The best way to minimize your own suffering is to always be prepared to handle the worst. Accidents happen, but your response is up to you.