Phoenix Agricultural Injury Workers Comp Lawyer

Phoenix Agricultural Injury Workers Comp Attorney

Farmers and other agricultural workers are around harmful and flammable substances, operate heavy machinery such as semi-trucks and tractors, and are vulnerable to numerous other causes of potential injury.

Consult with a Phoenix agricultural injury workers’ comp lawyer if you need assistance with acquiring workers’ compensation after experiencing an occupational ailment or suffering a workplace incident. Workers’ compensation attorneys at Arizona Injury Law Group are qualified and experienced in helping clients who have sustained work injuries across numerous different careers and professions.

What Are the Laws for Workers’ Comp in AZ?

Arizona labor laws require that employers with more than one employee must have workers’ compensation insurance. All employees injured while on the job for any reason– besides due to purposeful self-infliction –are entitled to file an injury claim in order to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. The injured worker must file for compensation within one year from the date of their injurious accident.

Workers’ compensation, enforced by the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA), covers any medical treatment the employee requires for a full recovery from their work injury, including emergency room bills, hospital stays, medications, assistive devices, and rehabilitative physical therapy, among other ongoing care. If the employee is rendered unable to work (as stated by their doctor) for more than eight calendar days, they become eligible for wage replacement payments.

When the worker has missed over 14 workdays due to their injury, they may receive compensation for the lost wages from the first seven missed days. The ICA does enforce a cap on what an employee can be provided for their lost wages, but there is no cap on what the worker may receive for medical costs or other compensation benefits.

Common Physical Injuries for Agricultural Workers

Agricultural workers have one of the most demanding and dangerous occupations in the nation. Farmers and other agricultural professionals typically work in harsh conditions while performing hard labor for long periods of time. Farming involves working with heavy and sometimes complicated machinery, fulfilling job tasks at significant heights, and being around hazardous chemicals. Agriculture-related injuries can occur for a variety of different reasons.

Farming work commonly utilizes large tractors and other heavy machinery, which can injure a worker if one of these machines suddenly overturns. Overturning accidents put not just the tractor operator at risk of harm from tens of thousands of pounds crushing them but also any other workers who may be nearby. Agricultural workers are vulnerable to amputation injuries to their limbs when working on or repairing machinery that has moving parts.

Farm employees are usually around several forms of pesticides and herbicides, the short-term exposure of which can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, mouth, and possibly a worker’s airways. The extensive or long-term handling of these toxic chemicals may result in workers, and even those not typically near or in direct contact with the chemicals, suffering from cancer and other deadly afflictions.

Agriculture workers are also at risk of animal attacks since livestock can often behave unpredictably. Cows, horses, and even dogs are capable of inflicting severe (even catastrophic) bodily harm by kicking, trampling, and biting. Animal bites have the potential to yield serious infection, and hooves have the power to break bones, damage internal organs, or even result in traumatic brain injuries from a kick.

FAQs

Q: Does Workers’ Comp Pay Lost Wages in Arizona?

A: In Arizona, employees unable to work because of a workplace injury for a period of eight days or more will receive compensation for lost wages. The first seven days of lost wages, the statutory waiting period for workers’ comp, typically will not be compensated for unless the injured worker loses earnings for a total duration of 14 days or longer.

Q: What Are Compensatory Damages for Workers’ Comp in AZ?

A: In Arizona, employees who are eligible for workers’ comp may receive one or multiple types of benefits for their compensatory damages.

Among these, benefit types can cover the worker’s medical bills related to the workplace injury, temporary disability for wages missed while away from work, permanent disability benefits if bodily harm is severe and long-lasting, vocational rehabilitation retraining or education for a new job, and death benefits for families of wrongful workplace death victims.

Q: Is There a Statute of Limitations on Workers’ Compensation Claims in Arizona?

A: The statute of limitations for workers’ comp through the Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) is one year from the date of injury. File as soon as possible so there’s documentation of your workplace injury, which can be particularly helpful if injuries initially thought to be minor worsen over time.

After a year, it’s difficult to acquire workers’ comp– medical records could assist in getting your case accepted even past the deadline, but it’s not guaranteed and shouldn’t be relied on.

Q: Can Workers’ Comp Stop Paying Without Notice in Arizona?

A: Insurers must give notice before stopping compensatory payments. If you return to work in Phoenix, you may be compensated for lost wages, but if the doctor finds your injury fully healed, compensation will cease.

Duration of compensation for permanent injuries can vary but usually will only end in the event of your death if you don’t file the annual income report to the insurer or if your employer/their carrier petitioned for the rearrangement of your benefits, which you will be notified of.

Q: What If My Employer Doesn’t Have Workers’ Comp Insurance?

A: Arizona requires all employers to acquire some form of workers’ comp insurance, and failure to do so can result in fines and other potential penalties. You may still file for workers’ compensation regardless of if your employer is insured; you may even be eligible to file a civil claim against them. Consult with a qualified attorney to understand all of your options.

Our Workers’ Comp Law Firm Can Help You

The skilled and adept team of legal professionals at Arizona Injury Law Group is prepared to help you get the compensation you deserve, no matter how complex or minimal your situation may seem. Have a workers’ comp lawyer review your claim by scheduling a consultation today.