Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. is happy to announce Juliana Ruggieri on being selected as the 2016 Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C. National Scholarship award recipient. Juliana currently works as an environmental health and safety specialist and is a member of the recently formed National Safety Council Women’s Caucus. She plans to further her career in safety management by earning a Master of Science degree in Environmental Health and Safety from the University of Wisconsin.
In her essay below, Juliana not only demonstrates how personal injury lawyers play a role in leading safety initiatives, but also how she promotes personal and community safety in her everyday life. Congratulations, Juliana, on your accomplishments in safety. We wish you the best of luck in continuing your journey.
Employees injured on the job should be taken care of fairly through workers compensation; however, an employee can receive less than they deserve when settling a claim with the employer. A personal injury lawyer assists the injured employee in obtaining the best possible settlement or supports the employee’s claim if arbitration occurs. Personal injury lawyers play a role in leading safety initiatives by influencing companies to improve their safety programs to protect employees on the job.
Once the personal injury lawyer and employee are successful in settlement or arbitration and the claim is approved by the employer’s insurance, the employer’s insurance premium may increase. Most business owners are not in favor of rising outgoing costs and will make necessary changes to decrease those costs or prevent future increases. A higher insurance premium influences employers to improve their safety program, thus personal injury lawyers can indirectly improve on the job safety. Employers may develop or build a stronger safety department comprised of professionals trained in safety engineering and compliance. By building a well-rounded and comprehensive safety team, the employer can decrease their number of work-related injuries.
In addition to personal injury lawyers playing a role in leading safety initiatives, professionals trained in safety science help to prevent on the job accidents. I currently work as an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist in which I promote personal and community safety at work and at home. My job consists of daily inspections, hazard analysis, and monthly audits to ensure compliance with local and federal labor laws. In addition to my assigned tasks, I developed an on-site employee education program in which I teach employees about health and safety topics. Some of these topics include emergency preparedness, home health hazards, and food safety that are accompanied by group activities and raffles to keep employees engaged. Executive management’s interest in my program allowed me to receive additional funding from my company to expand the program to three of our facilities on the east coast. I am proud that I am able to promote personal and community safety through my job and be inspired by professionals that contribute to safety initiatives around the world.
When you’re fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
