Happy 4th!  Hopefully you don’t have to work today.  We are open via our answering service or contact form if you want to talk to an attorney.  In the meantime, here are the top 10 4th of July injuries I’ve seen in my 20+ years as a work comp lawyer.

  1. Fireworks accidents. You’d expect this.  Sadly, someone, somewhere is going to blow off their fingers or burn themselves. It’s usually a result of a job where you didn’t get enough training.
  2. Car accidents. The craziest one I heard was from someone who was walking in a parade and got hit by another car.
  3. Slip and falls. Tons of restaurants and bars are open and the crowds can be massive.  That leads to a lot spilled drinks and wet floors.
  4. Fights. Another big one for restaurant workers.  It can be amateur hour at some bars, especially with all of the college kids home for summer.  This leads to people flexing their beer muscles and punches being thrown.  We’ve seen plenty of workers get caught in the middle.
  5. Back injuries from lifting. There are a lot of quick setups for stages and other areas that are being put in to place temporarily.  Hurried work often means you are being overworked which is a time bomb for your back.
  6. DUI victims. Not many people have to drive for their job on the 4th, but if you do, you are at huge risk of drunk party hoppers.  Be careful out there and if you don’t have to drive we recommend avoiding it.
  7. Gun shot wounds. This is an odd one, but for whatever reason, people like to shoot off guns on the 4th.  If a stray bullet catches you while you are working, you may have a case.
  8. Police officer injuries. A cop can have any injury on this list at any time, but they sure do seem to go up on the 4th, probably to all of the crowds.
  9. Torn rotator cuffs. Grocery stores are open and workers are doing lots of lifting of beer and water cases.  That will lead to torn rotator cuffs and other arm injuries.
  10. Nurse injuries. Nursing homes in Illinois are already woefully understaffed and some hospitals are too. It’s at its worst on major holidays because they don’t want to pay OT. You can bet some CNA or nurse will have to lift a patient by themselves tonight, absorb all of that weight and hurt their back.  All because their employer tried to save a few bucks.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us today or any other day if you have questions or need help. It’s always free and a pleasure.