I was wondering what I could do about being injured at work.

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

I was wondering what I could do about being injured at work.

I was cut by glass and required medical
attention. My work called an ambulance
and I was transported to the hospital
were I received stitches. I asked my
work previously to supply me with the
correct gloves. I was given rubber
gloves that I was wearing at the time
that did not prevent the laceration.
The proper protective wear was not
provided resulting in my injury. Do I
have legal rights?

Asked on January 31, 2017 under Personal Injury, Michigan

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

If the accident was not in any way due to your carelessless and/or was not a freak occurence, but was a predictable outcome of not having sufficient protective gear, you could in theory sue your employer for the injury, but it is unlikely to be worthwhile to sue unless you have suffered some lasting impairment or disability from this (e.g. nerve or tendon damage), or incurred thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket (not paid by insurance, Medicare or 'caid, etc.; paid by you) medical costs, since otherwise, with low costs and no lasting impairment, you could spend more on the lawsuit than you'd get back.
Note that the fact that you were cut by the glass does not automatically make the rubber gloves inadequate: the law does not require perfect protection. If the gloves would protect from the normal, reasonably predictable hazards, that is good enough.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption