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I am so sorry for your loss. Construction is currently the most dangerous type of work in the U.S. It’s been estimated that about 20 percent of all workplace deaths occur at construction sites. The construction industry is vital to the U.S.’s economy, and if a construction worker is killed on the job, the loved ones of that person must be properly cared for. There are a number of hazards on construction sites that can result in death. Workers may be struck by falling objects. A large majority of construction accidents involve falls by the workers or falling objects. Construction …

Unfortunately, your concerns are not uncommon. Although it would be wonderful if every workplace had employees who were supportive of each other and employers who were concerned about their employees’ best interests, that is not reality. Many employees work in terrible environments, and may feel that they are not able to leave because of a financial situation. Whether or not you can sue your employer depends on the circumstances. If your coworkers and supervisors are simply nasty people, that is not illegal. However, if you are being harassed in the workplace based on your race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, …

Sexual harassment in the workplace has been a very hot topic this fall, after Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexually harassing dozens of women in the entertainment industry. Other women have accused him of rape. After those allegations were made public, the floodgates opened with many other men in positions of power in the entertainment industry facing accusations of harassment and assault. The entertainment industry is not the only industry that faces sexual harassment issues in the workplace. However, most victims do not have a public platform that allows them to speak out on the issue. Fortunately, there …

Intraoperative neuromonitoring, also called IONM, is a technique that is used during surgery to monitor a patient’s nervous system. IONM can help prevent damage to the nerves, brain, or spinal cord. IONM is often used during surgeries that involve the spine or the brain, because if complications occur during surgery there could be a loss of neurological function. The first step of IONM is that electrodes are placed on the skin, or under the skin, at different locations along a nerve pathway. Those electrodes are connected to a computer, which analyzes information about the nerves being monitored. The next step …

Torn rotator cuffs can be very painful injuries to the shoulder. The shoulder consists of a ball and socket where the arm bone is kept in the shoulder socket by a network of muscles and tendons that make up the rotator cuff. A rotator cuff tear occurs when one of the tendons attached to the rotator cuff tears and is no longer attached to the head of the arm bone. The tear may be a small partial tear that does not sever the tendon, or the tendon can be completely detached from the bone. Torn rotator cuffs are a common …

I’m sorry to hear about your diabetes and the complications it is causing you. The good news is that it is possible to turn your health situation around with some effort. Also, you are not alone. About 30 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, which is almost 10 percent of the population. Many of those people do not know they are living with the disease. Although most people are familiar with diabetes, not as many people are aware of the potential complications of diabetes. Many people do not know that foot ulcers are a very common problem for diabetics. …

The agricultural industry is one of the most dangerous in the U.S. Many injuries and fatalities occur every year in the U.S. on farms of all sizes. Farms have a number of risks, including dangerous machines, chemicals, and animals, all of which can cause harm to workers. The U.S. has farms of all sizes, and there are a variety of different types of accidents that can happen in the agricultural industry. Tractor accidents are the leading cause of death among agricultural workers. There are also other common types of hazards on farms that can cause injuries or death. The employer …

Huge numbers of surgeries and medical procedures are performed every day under the use of anesthesia. Anesthesiologists may use several different types of anesthesia, such as general anesthesia, local anesthesia, or regional anesthesia, depending on the patient and the type of surgery involved. When an anesthesia error occurs and a patient is harmed, that harm usually occurs because the staff members failed to monitor the patient before, during, or after the surgical procedure. If an error does occur, it’s not always easy to tell what type of error occurred. Your doctor may need to work with medical experts to determine …

Good luck with your upcoming surgery. Although there are risks with all surgeries, spinal surgery in particular can be dangerous because it involves areas near the nerves and the spinal cord. During spinal surgery, there is a risk that damage to the nervous system can occur. That is one big reason that intraoperative monitoring is recommended. Intraoperative monitoring allows the surgeon to know during the surgery if or when nerve tissue is being injured or is at risk for being injured, so the problem can be corrected immediately. Intraoperative monitoring (also called intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring) involves hooking electrodes to the …

I am very sorry to hear about your workplace accident that resulted in an amputation. As an amputee, I understand the new physical challenges you are facing, as well as the emotional issues that can accompany an amputation. You may be able to recover compensation from your employer after the accident, but you may not be able to sue. Although there are exceptions, often, when an employee is injured on the job, he or she is limited to recovering benefits allowed under workers’ compensation laws. Workers’ compensation laws typically provide for three types of payments to those workers who are …

If you are discriminated against in the workplace because you are HIV positive, you may be able to sue your employer for damages, depending on the circumstances. By law, HIV and AIDS qualify as disabilities, even if the employee does not have any symptoms. Therefore, disability discrimination laws prevent employers from discriminating against employees because of the diagnosis. The applicable federal laws cover all public employers, and private employers with 15 or more employees. The laws prohibit employers from discriminating against employees in all employment practices such as hiring, firing, job assignments, benefits, wages, training, promotion, layoffs, and more. If …

I am very sorry to hear about the diagnosis of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare but deadly form of cancer. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Sadly, the manufacturers of asbestos hid the dangers of the product from the public for years, which caused many premature deaths. Mesothelioma can occur when asbestos fibers accumulate in an individual’s lungs. Mesothelioma develops very slowly. Many victims can live for years or even decades without any symptoms. In a lot of situations, mesothelioma victims develop the disease long after they left the environment in which they were exposed to asbestos. Often, the …