Workplace injuries involving animals

Many workers in South Carolina may be doing more outdoor labor as the weather warms up and the days get longer. As more tasks are completed outside, workers are exposed to more outdoor hazards. One of these outdoor hazards is contact with snakes, bees, ticks and other creatures that can sometimes cause injuries to workers.

The wild animals that typically cause the greatest number of workplace injuries are insects and snakes. Outdoor workers could be stung by bees, infected with diseases by ticks or bitten by venomous snakes. Attacks from larger animals, such as bears and raccoons, happen on rare occasions. Rats and bats have also been known to bite workers in some outdoor environments.

There are some kinds of animal attacks that employers in certain areas can expect their workers to encounter. For instance, a worker who performs outdoor tasks in an area that is known to have ticks or snakes has a good chance of being bitten at some point during their employment. However, an employer who lets its workplace become dirty and infested by wildlife that is not a natural part of the habitat may be found liable for a worker’s injuries.

Those who have been injured on the job because of an animal attack have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits for their workplace injuries regardless of who was at fault. An attorney may be able to help an injured worker in this situation to file the required claim for benefits, which can include the costs of necessary medical care and treatment as well as a percentage of wages lost during the period in which the victim was unable to work.