Workers compensation laws are designed to protect employees who are injured on the job. And while workers comp can be extremely beneficial to employees who are truly injured while working and have to be out of work for a period of time, some employees seem to take it too far. Let’s take a look at a few workers comp cases you won’t even believe happened.
- Employee suffered emotional distress from “fake robbery”: No employee ever wants to be faced with a robbery — let alone a fake robbery staged by their employer. But that’s exactly what happened to a California employee. She was approached by a man dressed in a ski mask and sunglasses who gave her a note that said “I have a gun. Put your money in the bag.” The employee was obviously traumatized after giving the man the money, only to find out that the “robber” was part of a security exercise staged by the employer. As the employee sustained significant emotional distress, the California court awarded her $360,000 for her workers comp case.
- SWAT team member took a blow to the head: During a simulated training exercise, an Ohio SWAT team member was struck in the head with a submachine gun — which was most definitely not part of the drill. The drill required the plaintiff to be in a body suit to protect him from the Taser barbs that were to be shot at him. But the defendant, who wasn’t even holding a Taser, instead chose to hit the plaintiff in the head with a submachine gun. As the plaintiff wasn’t wearing a helmet, he suffered a significant head injury and received a hefty workers compensation settlement.
- Employee purposely ignites a glue can: An employee who worked in a tire shop was working with a can of rubberized tire glue. In an effort to be funny, he lit the can with a cigarette. This, unsurprisingly, caused the can to explode and burn both the employee and a co-worker. After intentionally igniting the can, the employee filed a personal injury lawsuit. Since it was not an accident, he was denied any award for his workers comp case.
Do You Need an Illinois Attorney for Your Workers Comp Case?
There are a lot of ways people can get injured, especially with about 5.4 million non-fatal car accidents occurring every year in the United States. But if you’re injured at work, you need to find an attorney to handle your workers comp case. Work-related injuries should be covered under workers compensation laws, and it’s important to have the proper evidence and paperwork. An Illinois attorney can help ensure the claim is managed properly.
While not all workers comp cases are as ridiculous as these, work-related injuries should not be taken lightly. So, if you’re injured at work, contact the Steigmann Law Team to ensure you have the best chance at receiving fair compensation for your injury.