Columbus Workers' Compensation Law Blog

The recent death of former professional football player Junior Seau has many pondering the long-term effects of a profession that can lead to repetitive brain injuries. Research has shown that a traumatic brain injury can have serious long-term complications if it is not properly addressed. According to one neuropsychologist, repetitive brain injuries can cause serious damage, and many physicians would agree.

Reports indicate that the former football player shot and killed himself. Following the tragedy, questions erupted from the media and medical professionals alike: Could Seau have been afflicted with depression that was caused by brain injuries he could have received while playing football? If so, what can be done to address the issues that may arise and how can medicine better understand them?

With an election year upon us, many in Ohio have certain topics in mind that they would like to see addressed by political candidates. One of these topics that people say candidates are avoiding is Social Security. Two separate funds make up the program Social Security: one for the elderly and another for the disabled.

Earlier estimates suggested that the funds would be used up by 2035, but a recent estimate has indicated that the funds will disappear by 2033. This means that Social Security Disability benefits will likely cost more of the nation's gross domestic product -- experts believe that by 2030, Social Security and Medicare will cost the nation an extra 3 percent.

After an explosion rocked an Ohio power plant, one worker is looking to receive the compensation that was awarded to him after a suit was successfully filed against his employer. Two juries have found that the employer was at fault for the explosion but has yet to pay anything to the victims. According to court documents, the man has won $5.57 million. This was after his offer to settle for workers' compensation benefits and medical costs associated with his injuries was refused, according to his attorney.

The explosion happened at the Muskingum River Plant, which is owned and operated by American Electric Power. According to reports, a truck was delivering hydrogen to the plant on Jan. 8, 2007, when an explosion occurred at one of the hydrogen storage units. The explosion caused the death of one individual and injured nine others.

Employees in Columbus, Ohio, may be worried that they will one day become the victim of a workplace injury. Even worse, it could be one that leaves them incapable of supporting themselves and their families. One such injury that could do this is a spinal cord injury. The effects of this have left many paralyzed and unable to do much for themselves, let alone head back to work.

The story of one spinal cord injury victim has left many wondering what their lives would be like if they suddenly became a quadriplegic. He was 20 years old when he lost the use of his limbs. He was a freshman in college at the time and was about to start his first hockey game with the school he attended. After 11 seconds on the ice, he had been injured.

In April 2011, officials with the Portage Area Regional Transit Agency broke ground on a $26 million transportation center. Previously, it was expected to open in 2013, but a recent construction accident may be delaying work on the project.

According to reports, a 49-year-old male construction worker lost his life around 6 p.m. after being involved in an accident around 11 a.m. on the same day. The 49-year-old, from Barberton, Ohio, was walking between a track hoe and some slabs of concrete when the machine moved. He was then stuck between the excavator and the concrete.

Most warehouse workers in Ohio know the dangers of storage a large amount of a product. Large amounts of a product are stocked heavily and, perhaps, to an unsafe height. Negligence on the part of an employer can cause a fatal accident to occur to an employee, if certain safety procedures were not properly followed.

That may be what happened to a 56-year-old man in a recent workplace accident, which found him buried under a pile of pinto beans. If negligence can be proven, the man's family may have the potential for a successful wrongful death suit.

If someone from Ohio is injured while on the job, and she or he is unsure of whether compensation will be awarded, it may be best to get some advice on the matter. Workers' compensation benefits can be hard to obtain if a court does not find in favor of the victim, but appeals are possible and, in one case, they were the reason that an injured individual finally received compensation.

A woman, who was the head custodian at a school, was unlocking the front gate on May 3, 2010. She had parked her vehicle close to the gate so that she could use the headlights to see. Inclement weather was present, making the ground slippery and the sky dark. As she began to unlock the gate to the parking lot, her car began to roll away from her.

Many workers in Columbus, Ohio, have been injured on the job. These injuries can turn into workers' compensation cases, and benefits can be retained for months while the broken ankle or torn rotator cuff heals. According to several studies, it seems that people who are obese are more likely to take more time to return to work.

Data from a 2007 study performed by Duke University shows that obese workers filed twice as many workers' compensation claims as those workers who were not obese. They also missed 13 times the amount of days for their injuries and had medical costs that were an average of seven times more.