Jun 17, 2013

Getting Shot at Work

Some employees face great danger at their workplace, and shootings are
compensable under worker’s compensation laws.

Craig Fleming of Portland Oregon was shot at the gas station where he worked
on May 26, according to
Gas Station Employee Shot in NE Portland. At 3:28 in the morning, police were called to the 76 station, where “Preliminary
information indicates there was some sort of a disturbance in the gas
station lot involving several Hispanic males, resulting in the employee
getting shot, police say.”

The shooters were not apprehended.

In April, a civilian employee at Ft. Knox Army base in Kentucky was fatally
shot, according to
FBI: Man charged with murder in Fort Knox shooting. The shooting took place in front of the HR building at 5:40 p.m. “The
victim was an employee of the U.S. Army Human Resources Command, which
handles personnel actions for soldiers.”

According to the United States Department of Labor
website:

“According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational
Injuries (CFOI), of the 4,547 fatal workplace injuries that occurred in
the United States in 2010, 506 were workplace homicides. Homicide is the
leading cause of death for women in the workplace.”

Sometimes the shootings occur because of relationship issues. Sometimes
they are caused by disgruntled employees. Escorts and additional security
measures are not unreasonable expectations in situations where employees’
lives could be at stake.

If you or someone you know has been injured due to a shooting or act of
violence on the job, call Nate Hansford at 770-922-3660 for a free consultation
about a possible worker’s compensation case.