Corrections officers are responsible for being in charge of those people who have been arrested, are waiting for a trial to take place, or are in a jail or a prison serving a sentence. They make sure that inmates of correctional facilities obey rules, supervise their activities, keep a close eye on the whereabouts of inmates at all times, supervise standards within jails and prisons and help to provide rehabilitation and counseling. The work of correctional officers is not an easy one and they are at times exposed to difficult and sometimes dangerous conditions, especially if there are fights or violence within the facility they are working in. Common Workplace Injuries Corrections officers could just as easily be injured slipping over a recently cleaned office floor as they could wind up being hurt by an inmate. Anyone who works in a jail or prison is continually under the threat of violence due to the sorts of inmates that any corrections officer might have to deal with on a day to day basis. The worst injuries could be the result of a serious jail or prison revolt or widespread or occasional violence within the institution. Injuries could include: cuts and bruises concussion and other head injuries broken ribs or arm bones from a fall knife or stab wounds if cut by an inmate while attending to a fracas Next Steps After a Workplace Injury as a Corrections Officer Corrections officers typically work for either a county, state or federal government department. They are not employed in the private sector. Injuries at work are covered by the relevant employer’s workers’ compensation arrangements. If you are injured in any kind of accident or an altercation which has occurred at work, then you should be covered by your employer’s insurance policy. You will need to inform your supervisor about the incident which caused your injury and as soon as you can submit a claim for workers’ compensation. It is likely that your employer will have a specific policy in place for these sorts of eventualities. Generally, workers’ comp. covers medical bills and a part of any lost wages, but will not cover emotional and psychological suffering which could easily accompany an incident in a corrections officer’s workplace. How Workers Compensation Can Help Any kind of injury can seriously impact on a worker’s ability to do the job they normally do. It can also be financially very punitive as a worker’s own health insurance, if they have any, might be insufficient to pay hospital and other medical bills as well as household and other expenses while not working. That’s where workers’ compensation comes in as it is a no fault form of insurance policy. Unlike personal injury you do not have to prove that the workplace conditions you were working in were the cause of the injury you are claiming for. The main proviso is that you can show that your injuries were definitely caused while at work and that the amount you have claimed is justified. Why You Should Contact a WC Attorney You would think that a genuine injury in a jail or prison would merit a speedy compensation payment, but this is often not the case at all. It can be a struggle getting an insurance adjuster to agree to pay compensation after an injury at work. If you experience any problems or obstacles when submitting your claim you should contact a workers’ compensation attorney to provide advice and negotiate on your behalf.
