Injuries To Baggage Handlers
When you look out the window of an airplane as it is ready to take off, you see members of the tarmac fleet in their brightly colored vests, loading and moving baggage carts and otherwise skillfully staying out of the way of the enormous airplanes. Tarmac workers make their jobs look easy, but working as a ramp agent is anything but easy. The job is as dangerous as working in a warehouse or on a construction site, or perhaps even more so, because you are not surrounded by airplanes at either of those jobs.
The rights of tarmac fleet workers who get injured at work are the same as the rights of anyone else who suffers a work injury. Your employer has a responsibility to pay for your medical treatment through their workers’ compensation insurance, but if you have serious injuries that require expensive treatment, your employer will probably try to get away with paying as little as possible. If you got injured while working as a ramp agent or at some other tarmac fleet job, contact a Chicago workers’ compensation and injury lawyer.
Most Common Work Accidents on the Tarmac
Thousands of accidents occur on the tarmac each year, resulting in injuries, some of them fatal, to baggage handlers, ramp agents, and other members of the airport tarmac fleet. These are some of the most common types of accidents in which airport workers get injured:
- Muscle strain injuries from lifting baggage and other heavy items
- Fall injuries
- Vehicle collisions on the tarmac
- Vehicles on the tarmac striking workers who are on foot
- Workers getting injured by airplane pushback
The Rights of Injured Airport Workers
If you get injured at work, whether you are a baggage handler, wing walker, or any other kind of employee, you can and should file a workers’ compensation claim. Filing a workers’ compensation claim is a legally protected activity, which means that it is against the law for your employer to fire you, demote you, suspend you, or otherwise take adverse action against you for filing it. Your employer has an obligation to pay the workers’ compensation claim simply because the accident happened at work; you do not need to prove that the accident was the result of the employer’s negligence, like you would have to do in a personal injury lawsuit. Workers’ compensation should pay for all aspects of treatment, including but not limited to doctor’s office visits, hospitalizations, surgery, physical therapy, and prescription drugs.
If your injury was the result of the negligence of some party other than your employer or co-worker you may also have a personal injury lawsuit against that responsible party in addition to your workers’ compensation case. The tarmac is a hectic place with numerous other workers and companies trying to get their jobs done as quickly as possible. If you are hurt as a result of their negligence you will need an attorney to investigate each and every avenue of recovery to maximize your potential recovery.
Contact a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer About Work Injuries at Tarmac Fleet Jobs
An experienced injury lawyer can help you if you suffered serious injuries at your job while working at an airport. Contact Connolly Injury Law in Chicago, Illinois or call or text (312)780-0816.
Source:
faa.gov/airports/resources/publications/reports/media/vehicle_injuries.pdf
