Five Most Dangerous Jobs in Florida
Despite numerous health and safety laws, American workplaces are dangerous, to the tune of over two million injuries per year. Our list of the most dangerous jobs in Florida contains some expected occupations as well as some unexpected ones. Job injuries include trauma injuries, such as falls, and occupational diseases, such as hearing loss.
Job injury benefits include lost wage replacement and medical bill payment. Insurance companies are legally obligated to pay these benefits if the illness or injury was work-related and if the requested amount is reasonable. Those are two very big “ifs” that insurance company lawyers often exploit. Unless a Tampa workers’ compensation lawyer steps in, these lawyers decide what’s reasonable, regardless of the victim’s needs.
Fishing
No surprise here. Commercial fishing is a volume business. He who catches the most fish makes the most money. In the race to catch fish, many bosses cut corners in areas like worker safety.
Most commercial fishers are deep-water fishers, where the weather is often bad. Falls, man-overboard drownings, and other such incidents are common on rolling, pitching, wet decks. Furthermore, fishers work with dangerous equipment, such as nets and hooks.
Additionally, when injuries occur, most fishing boats have little more than first aid kits, and the “doctor” usually isn’t a real doctor. So, victims don’t get proper treatment until the ship puts into port, which could be several hours after the accident.
Pilots
Commercial aviation is much safer today than it was twenty years ago. Large commercial jets have seen the most improvement. The companies that own these planes have almost unlimited financial resources.
Small, private aircraft are a different story. These aircraft usually don’t have all the safety features that big airplanes have. Furthermore, many small plane pilots have little experience, especially in areas like flying in very bad weather conditions.
Most airplane and helicopter crashes occur during takeoff or upon landing. Problems develop with little warning, and so these crashes often kill everyone on board.
Electrical Workers
These workers risk falls and electrocutions, two of the most common fatal job-related injuries in Florida. As the Sunshine State grows, the outdated power grid must do more and more. These needs require power facilities in remote areas and workers with little experience or training. That’s usually a very dangerous combination.
Home Health Workers
This entry might surprise some people. These jobs always involve unforeseen circumstances. Furthermore, many home health care workers put in long hours and have basically no supervision, meaning their work environments could be dangerous to begin with.
Delivery Drivers
Delivery and truck drivers keep the American economy running, transporting commercial goods, raw materials and other products across town or across the country. Jobs in this industry range from drivers of semi-trucks that travel across the United States to those who deliver packages locally in small shipments within individual regions.
In most cases, delivery and truck drivers must have a commercial license. But they don’t need much formal education. Because they spend most of their lives on the road, their risk of vehicle accidents is far greater than most workers or individuals face.
Contact a Dedicated Hillsborough County Attorney
Injury victims are entitled to important financial benefits. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Tampa, contact Kobal Law. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.
