Common Work Injuries Among Correctional Officers in Maryland
There are many different types of correctional workers in Maryland, and each of them can be at risk of various types of injury on the job. Indeed, the data suggests that these types of workers — although there are not nearly as many workers in other industries where injuries are common — tend to sustain injuries at a notably high rate. If you work at any type of correctional facility in Maryland and have been injured at work, it is important to find out about your options for seeking financial compensation. Our Maryland correctional officer work injury attorneys can provide you with more information about injuries in your line of work and can help you to seek compensation when an injury does occur.
Types of Correctional Workers Who Get Hurt on the Job
When most people think about work in corrections, they are often thinking of correctional officers or others who have security roles. While correctional officers are one type of worker at prisons and other institutions, there are also many other jobs in which workers can sustain injuries. All of the following, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are types of workers in correctional facilities:
- Correctional officers;
- Health care providers, including physical health care and mental health care;
- Counselors, including mental health counselors and vocational counselors;
- Chaplains and other religious figures;
- Teachers;
- Drug treatment specialists;
- Food service workers;
- Maintenance workers;
- Administrative workers; and
- Case managers.
Depending on a person’s role in a correctional facility, they can be subject to various forms of injuries ranging from accidental and traumatic injuries, injuries from intentional assaults, overexertion injuries, and repetitive stress or repetitive motion injuries.
Understanding Correctional Worker Injuries
According to the Center for National Biotechnology Information, correctional workers of all types experience high rates of workplace injury. Correctional officers, however, have the highest rates of injury. In fact, data suggests that correctional officers have among the highest rates of workplace injuries of any workers in industries across the country. These types of correctional workers “are exposed to unique workplace hazards within a controlled prison environment,” including but not limited to the following causes of injury:
- Injuries from inmate assaults and other intentional acts of violence or aggression;
- Injuries from intervening in conflicts between or among inmates;
- Injuries from attempting to restrain inmates;
- Injuries incurred during contraband searches, which can include cuts and lacerations as well as needle sticks;
- Injuries from getting caught or crushed between cell doors; and
- Injuries in motor vehicle collisions when transporting inmates.
In addition, correctional officers and many of the other types of workers noted above can also sustain work injuries as a result of the following, for example:
- Slips and falls, or trips and falls;
- Inmate assaults;
- Exposure to pathogens;
- Needle sticks;
- Repetitive stress or motion injuries from repeated movements associated with health care work or administrative work;
- Overexertion injuries associated with moving inmates or lifting inmates in correctional medical areas, or lifting heavy supplies coming into or going out of the facility;
- Cuts and lacerations among food service and maintenance workers; and
- Falls from heights resulting in injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) or broken bones, especially among maintenance workers.
Contact a Maryland Correctional Officer Work Injury Attorney for Assistance with Your Claim
Were you injured while working in a correctional facility? The experienced Maryland correctional officer work injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can speak with you today about seeking compensation. Contact us for more information.
Sources:
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4699466/
cdc.gov/niosh/corrections/about/index.html