Published on: June 2, 2022

Are Injuries From Workplace Assaults The New Normal?

In the last couple years, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in workplace injuries due to assaults. Usually, it’s a service industry worker assaulted by some irate customer. The customer gets angry because they had to wait for a table at the restaurant, or maybe they could not get their favorite table. So, the person become irate and hits the hostess. It’s all too common. It’s shameful behavior.

Over the last couple years, I’ve written several articles on the issue. My articles include the two below that discuss several serious workplace assaults:

Assaulted In The Workplace And Need Work Comp? (Article highlights several bizarre 2020 assault cases).

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Published on: January 10, 2022

Workplace Assaults Continue To Be A Serious Problem

By Jeff Blackwell

A well known workers compensation author publishes an annual list of the Top 10 most bizarre workers compensation cases. From time to time, an Alabama case makes the list. But, not this year. The list is always interesting and entertaining reading. You can read the 2021 bizarre work comp case list HERE.

The 2020 list contained multiple cases involving bizarre workplace assaults. Customers punching a manager over a mask requirement. Customers beating a restaurant hostess over social distancing requirements. Add a postal worker getting shot over the late delivery of a stimulus check. It was a violent year and the coronavirus was front-and-center. I wrote an article about these assault-related workplace injury cases last year titled Workplace Assaults Continue To Be A Serious Problem.

Would the 2021 list be different? Did we all calm tremendously in 2021? Apparently not. The same writer has now published his bizarre list for 2021 (last year). The 2021 list also contains multiple workplace assault cases. Thankfully, none are from Alabama. Here are the unusual assault cases listed:

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Published on: August 16, 2021

Assaulted By A Co-Worker? Can I Get Work Comp?

By Jeff Blackwell

Earlier this year, I wrote an article discussing work comp benefits and workplace assaults. You can read that article here:

Assaulted In The Workplace And Need Work Comp?

Workplace assaults are common for many professions. Think about nurses and the large number of difficult encounters they face with patients and families. Think about restaurant workers and other service industry professionals who interact with customers on a daily basis. Think about law enforcement officers and other first responders who deal with the public during the worse possible events. Just this morning, I read a headline on al.com about a FedEx driver who was shot by another driver in a road rage incident in Birmingham. Workplace assaults are not unusual. Many professions are impacted.

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Published on: February 22, 2021

Assaulted In The Workplace And Need Work Comp?

By Jeff Blackwell

A well-known work comp writer publishes an annual Top 10 list of the most bizarre workers compensation cases. When it comes to bizarre, the year 2020 really shines bright!

Three of the top 10 bizarre cases for 2020 are COVID-related. Are you surprised? I’m certainly not. More specifically, all three coronavirus-related cases involved assaults. Again, I’m not surprised at all. We lived through a turbulent year! I’m using the past-tense “lived” in the hope we are entering a time of greater stability and sanity.

When A Virus Infects The Workplace With Violence!

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Published on: April 8, 2019

Can I Get Work Comp Benefits If Assaulted At Work?

By Jeff Blackwell

Recently, someone asked us the following question:

If you get attacked while working, does workers comp pay?

That’s a good question. It is within our law firm’s area of personal injury. And, we have actually handled past work comp cases involving this issue. What’s the answer? The answer is a qualified yes. C’mon, you know tough legal issues rarely have absolute answers. The answer is, yes, an attack CAN be a work comp case. But, the details are very important.

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