Developments in technology and stricter safety regulations have greatly improved the conditions miners have to work in, but even so, they still face work injuries.
In 1931, the first year the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) started collecting data on the subject, there were 1,688 reported fatalities in the mining industry. Between 2008 and 2018, there were 400.
Things are moving in the right direction, but even if working in the mines is technically safer today than some decades ago, this new technology often presents new risks. Deaths resulting from electrical faults, for instance, have increased in 2018 in comparison to 2017.
When a miner gets injured on the job, what are their options?
How to Get Compensated
Missouri miners who get injured while on the job have the right to get compensated for their medical costs lost wages, and any other costs amounted from the accident. The Missouri Department of Labor reports there have been 117 injury reports in the mining industry in 2017 (your employer is obligated to send a report of your accident to the Division for Workers Compensation.)
To get compensated, you generally must follow these steps:
Seek medical attention
Inform your employer of the injury in writing, and specify the details of the injury (the type, where it happened, when it happened, etc.)
Request an official claim from your employer and fill it out
Then, your employer must handle processing the claim. It is best to also get in touch with an experienced work injury lawyer to ensure your rights are protected right from the start of your claim. An attorney at the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann can review your claim for free.
What Could Go Wrong?
Of all the injuries cases in the mining industry, roughly 20 were filed directly with the Division, which is a step you take when your workers’ comp claim was denied or partially denied, and you want your case reviewed further.
In some cases, mistakes get made, and your employer forgets to file your claim, so the benefits will take longer to come. Or, the insurance company may want to investigate the accident to see if you really did get hurt on the job, or are just claiming you did to cover the medical costs of another condition (this can be true when there’s no workplace injury, but a workplace illness).
These issues can stall the process quite a lot, and in some cases, miners have even seen their compensation claim denied. Even so, they are not without options.
Speak With an Attorney ASAP
If you’re a miner and got injured on the job, you are likely entitled to workers comp. Please reach out to a St. Louis worker injury lawyer for help you filing the claim and making sure everything runs smoothly. If your claim gets denied, your lawyer can take the matter to the Division, where it will be reassessed by the state.
Give us a call 24/7 at (314) 361-4300 for a FREE consultation.