Earlier this month the Bureau of Labor Statistics released their first ever study of people with disabilities’ involvement in the labor force.  According to the study, the labor force participation rate for people without disabilities is 64.5 percent while the rate for people with disabilities is 19.2 percent.

Researchers believe the recession was especially hard on people with disabilities trying to find work.  While the unemployment rate for people without disabilities was at 9 percent, the rate for people with disabilities reached 14.5 percent.  In addition, finding full time work is considerably harder for people with disabilities.  Statistics show that a fifth of people without disabilities work part time compared to a third of people with disabilities.

If you or someone you know needs to file for long-term disability benefits, contact the Philadelphia long-term disability lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.

A worker subcontracted to work on a $230 million improvement project of the Rainbow Dam in Great Falls, Montana was killed in a tragic construction accident earlier this month.

On September 7th around 8 AM, a 44-year old man was walking between two large trucks.  As the trucks were passing each other they crushed the man.  Emergency medical services officials transported the victim to Benefits Health Systems where he later passed away due to major internal injuries.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Monday morning, a fatal construction accident occurred at Yale University where construction workers are working on building a chiller power plant to create steam and cold water for the heating and cooling systems across the university.

The accident occurred when a steel I-beam fell on top of workers.  Witnesses say the beam fell from about 30 feet in the air, hit the left side of the mechanical lift, and fell to the ground.  Officials are currently unsure of what caused the beam to collapse.

Two of the injured workers were operating the mechanical lift at the time of the accident and investigators are unsure of whether or not the other two injured were elevated near the beam, or on the ground.  The injured workers suffered serious injuries however they are said to be “conscious and alert”.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the man lost in this tragic accident.

In a study conducted by the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center, 85 percent of workers say that their top labor concern is workplace safety.  Other common concerns included maternity leave, paid sick leave, and overtime pay.  Furthermore, while many of the workers said they were happy with their workplace’s safety, the majority also said they felt stressed on the job.  Stressful workplaces are more likely to have accidents occur and workers injured.

Tom W. Smith, director of the survey, said that the media and public often do not pay enough attention to workers injured or lost on the job.  ”Workplace safety is too often ignored or accidents taken for granted,” stated Smith.

If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.