Connecticut Personal Injury Blog

Most workers in Connecticut know that they are entitled to benefits under the state's workers' compensation law if they suffer an injury on the job, but most employees lack a detailed understanding of how the claims process works. While every claim is unique and every worker has a unique story to tell, the basic steps in the claims process must be followed by every claimant. An understanding of the workers' compensation claims process is essential to filing a successful claim and obtaining an award of benefits.

Every workers' compensation claim begins with a worker who suffers a work-related injury. An injured worker must begin the claims process by notifying his employer of the injury within one year from the date of the accident. If the employer agrees to pay the claim, the worker will begin receiving benefits at the level determined by the statute. If the employer denies the claim, the worker may request a hearing. Hearings come in five distinct levels: informal, in which the parties meet to discuss the claim; emergency, in which the parties meet to resolve a claim in which benefits may be necessary to prevent permanent injury or severe financial injury; pre-formal, in which the parties meet with an administrative law judge in an attempt to resolve the claim; formal, in which the parties present evidence in front of an administrative law judge who issues a written decision; and an appeal to the Compensation Review Board, which issues a binding decision on the claim. Either party may seek judicial review of the decision of the Board.

Workers in Connecticut have a lot of responsibilities they have to meet, including some responsibilities that are related to keeping themselves and others safe.

Unfortunately, as anyone who has worked knows, it is impossible for every employee to be on their A game all of the time. In other words, people make mistakes and, quite frankly, are from time to time careless.

You were driving through an intersection when the unexpected happened. A driver headed your way hit your vehicle from behind, hard enough to spin your car around. You immediately felt the shock of the crash, but you got out to make sure the other driver was okay. That's when you noticed the vehicle that hit you driving away.

How could someone leave the scene when you could have been hurt? It happens more often than you might think. Sometimes, these people are only thinking of themselves. Other times, they're in a rush and are stunned by the crash, leaving when the adrenaline surges. Regardless of why they did it, it's not acceptable to leave the scene. If this happened to you, there are steps you need to take to ensure the hit-and-run driver is brought to justice.

Most tall buildings in Connecticut make extensive use of glass panels on the exterior walls. These panels are very heavy and can pose a risk to workers if they are not secured at all times before installation. In a recent construction site accident, one such panel was on a loading dock awaiting installation when it tipped over and killed a nearby worker.

The accident occurred on May 26 at the construction site of a midtown skyscraper in New York City. The panel was approximately 8x14 feet and was sitting in a loading dock. Workers were moving the panel when, for unknown reasons, the panel tipped over and fell to the ground, crushing a security worker who was standing by the panel. Emergency personnel found the man unconscious and unresponsive with "severe body trauma." The falling panel also inflicted non-life-threatening injuries on another worker. Both men were transported to Mount Sinai St. Luke's Hospital, where the security worker was pronounced dead.