In the Northeast, it has been reported that a commuter railroad company was ordered to pay over $142,000 in monetary damages to a worker who was allegedly denied a promotion after he suffered a knee injury while on the job. Federal regulators concluded that because the worker was injured, his employer decided to deny him an upper-level position.
Regulators were not alone in their theory as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) agreed that the commuter company discriminated against the employee due to his workplace injuries. OHSA commented that cases like this may cause injured workers to fear reporting on-the-job wounds because of job loss or demotion from employers. The group is working vigorously to stop this from happening as it wants all employees to report when they suffer workplace injuries so precautions and safety measures can be implemented to protect other workers.
At this time, the railroad company has refused to issue too many comments related to the case, but a representative noted that the company will appeal the decision.
If you have been injured on the job, you may wish to have your case reviewed by an attorney that is familiar with workplace injuries and accidents. Contact a New York workplace injury attorney from our legal team today to learn what options may be at your disposal, such as collecting workers’ compensation.