Being a construction worker can come at a serious risk to one’s health. By the numbers, each year more than 4,500 workers lose their lives and another four million are seriously injured each year while on the job, according to OSHA.
One way that you can reduce the chance that you’ll be hurt on the job is by seeing your physician regularly. However, as most construction workers are paid per project, they don’t often have the disposable money to visit the doctor often. For this reason, they don’t receive quality care when they are sick or injured nor do they receive preventative care checkups. Nevertheless, if you have health insurance, you’ll be more likely to receive care and can lead an overall healthier life.
Moreover, being healthy through having regular checkups can help to reduce the chance of being injured in the first place.
If you need convincing, here are some specific reasons why.
Better Treatment and More Options
With the constant threat of injury, a worker can be put into difficult circumstances if an injury occurs. Not only is there physical pain to contend with, workers will also have to deal with obtaining the compensation for their injuries and lost wages via workers’ compensation. Having health insurance available in these circumstances can help fill in any gaps, especially after a settlement is reached and any long-term conditions from your injury come to light.
Working in high conditions or with heavy equipment means construction workers are at risk of complex and/or serious injuries—that could require long-term treatment. Depending on the injury, this could mean a severe sprain or broken bones—both, which take time to heal— or inhaling dangerous substances, which will take years to show symptoms.
Again, workers’ comp is responsible for taking care of 100% of your medical treatment needs, but good health insurance adds an extra layer of security in an already delicate situation.
For more information on preventing workplace injuries, read our blog post Preventing Workplace Slips, Trips and Falls.
If you’re having difficulty obtaining your rightful workers’ comp benefits, or just want to ensure you’re receiving all of the benefits available to assist you in this difficult time, please schedule a free consultation with Denver workers’ comp attorney R. Mack Babcock today.
Or, feel free to continue browsing our blog, or download our free workers’ comp guide for a breakdown of how your post-injury care should be handled.