In Ohio and other states, strict regulations exist when it comes to underage employees. They are prohibited from doing some jobs and operating certain equipment. If a young worker suffers on-the-job injuries, the Ohio workers’ compensation program may double or triple the benefits paid to the victim. The aim is to prevent exploitation of juveniles in the workplace.
This may be the case when a 15-year-old boy pursues workers’ compensation benefits after injuries he suffered on the job in another state. Reportedly, the incident happened shortly after noon on a recent Friday at a residential work site in which the boy was a member of a hired work crew. Authorities say a tractor ran over the teenager after he fell off it.
Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene where they found the injured boy. They determined that he suffered upper body injuries in the fall and lower body damage when the tractor ran over him. They stabilized him before transporting him to a hospital by air ambulance. His injuries were reported not to be life-threatening.Â
The financial consequences of such serious injuries may be overwhelming. To pursue maximum compensation, the teenager’s family or guardians may seek the support and guidance of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to navigate the benefits claim for them. In Ohio, future earning capacity typically forms a significant part of the benefits awarded if the injuries to a young worker caused total or partial disabilities. If this is the case, even a small wage-replacement benefit can rise to a significant amount over 40 to 50 years of the child’s future career.
Source: belleplaineherald.com, “Boy Injured in Workplace Accident”, April 20, 2017