Every job comes with some degree of risk, but there are simply some jobs that are more dangerous to perform than others. When people talk about dangerous professions, they often mean people who drive for a living and are constantly at risk of a crash or those who work in very dangerous environments, like construction professionals and oil workers out on offshore rigs.
However, workplace violence involving coworkers or members of the public is a serious safety concern that can affect almost any profession. There are some professions that come with obvious violence-related safety risks, including law enforcement and military professions. There are also jobs that don’t inherently involve physical force that also have an increased risk of workplace violence, including the two seemingly safe professions below.
Retail work
Those working in retail constantly have to deal with customers in bad moods and possibly criminals, like shoplifters. In recent years, the amount of physical violence occurring in retail environments has increased.
The number of violent incidents that leave someone injured and in need of time off to recover has increased, adding to the many other safety issues that affect retail workers.
Hospital work
If you work in a hospital, the threat of interpersonal violence likely isn’t one of your top concerns. However, according to workplace injury statistics, violence is responsible for roughly 10% of all lost-time injuries in hospital environments. Nurses, X-ray technicians and other hospital employees may have to interact with someone trying to avoid law enforcement or under the influence of drugs who becomes violent.
Your rights after workplace violence leads to injury
When someone suffers an injury on the job because of a violent individual, they usually qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. However, although workers’ compensation might cover all of your medical treatment and will provide some disability pay if your claim is successful, you would still likely experience a loss in income because disability pay is only partial.
Those affected by violence at work may have grounds for a third-party work injury claim against the violent individual. When someone breaks the law and harms other people, they may have financial culpability for the impact of their behavior.
Pursuing a third-party injury claim after getting hurt in an attack at your job could help offset your lost wages and other expenses.