Three Ways That A Garbage Collector Could Be Hurt On The Job

Working as a garbage collector is physically demanding and has its share of risks. If you work in this profession and sustain an injury, there are many potential factors at play. While it's true that you could be largely responsible for your injury, it's also true that your employer — the sanitation company — could be to blame. If you believe that this is the case, you'll want to hire a workers' compensation attorney to discuss your case and potentially represent you against your employer. Here are three ways that you could get hurt, and for which the sanitation company could play a role.

Hit By A Vehicle

Garbage collectors are at risk of being hit by other vehicles while they're on the road. At first glance, it may seem as though the offending motorist is fully responsible for such an incident, and it's true that he or she has at least some culpability. However, you may be able to successfully argue that the sanitation company was negligent. For example, if the garbage truck was in poor repair and didn't have working brake or hazard lights to alert motorists to the fact that it was stopped, the sanitation company deserves some blame.

Crushed By The Compactor

One of the most serious ways that a garbage collector could get hurt on the job is having his or her body or a limb crushed by the compactor in the truck. Obviously, you're trained to keep away from this device, but there's a chance that it could malfunction and pinch you while you were trying to fix it. Your attorney may argue that the sanitation company didn't maintain the compactor according to industry standards, and is thus responsible for your workplace injury.

Repetitive Strain Injuries

The physical nature of this profession can make you susceptible to back injuries that can occur from lifting thousands of heavy loads of residential waste and throwing them into the truck. It's a little more difficult to prove negligence on the behalf of the sanitation company if you were to get a repetitive strain injury, but your attorney may take the approach of suggesting that the company overworked you. For example, if you were unable to take breaks at appropriate intervals and your daily route was difficult to complete in time without rushing and potentially putting yourself in harm's way, this could be negligent on the part of the sanitation company.

Get in touch with professionals like Bishop Dorfman Kroupa & Bishop PC to learn more.

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