Although many of the restrictions surround the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted, that doesn’t make the virus or any other kind of disease go away. Even if it’s a small case or laryngitis, it’s important to see a doctor when you’re facing congestion or shortness of breath. Monitoring your own health is especially important, considering Missouri’s current circumstances. According to an article from KOMU, health professionals in the mid-Missouri area are reporting a huge spike in cases of respiratory illness. One doctor claims that the number of cases they’ve seen have nearly doubled. For ..read more

Although you may not have seen it in your workplace, the reality is that workers in Columbia get injured while on the job every single day. From broken bones to ringing ears and everything in between, there are a lot of ways you could get hurt while just doing your job. Everyone is at risk, not just though in physically demanding jobs. Even people who work in offices can end up suffering from carpal tunnel or other injuries. In an effort to help spread awareness about instances like this, the Missouri Department of Labor makes their statistics of workplace injuries publicly available. To some ..read more

Whether it’s a minor scratch or a broken leg, any incident that leads to an injury in the workplace must be reported through the proper channels. Even incidents that resulted with no injuries should be reported if the situation was dangerous. Not only does this help your employer keep the workplace safe, but it helps them keep record of injuries in the event they need to be compensated. Reporting your injury to your employer is one of the first things you should do after the accident occurs. The Missouri Division of Workers’ Compensation has an example of what the form will look like, but ther ..read more

While it is true that you can get injured on the job regardless of your industry or position, there are certain groups of people who are particularly at-risk to getting hurt in the workplace. Perhaps one of the most obvious is the construction industry. A lot of dangerous elements can be found on the average construction yard, from complicated construction equipment to heavy materials like steel and iron, there is danger packed in practically every corner of the workplace. Most of the time, the safety measures put in place are enough to prevent someone from getting hurt or worse. Unfortunately ..read more

No matter what you do or where you work, there are probably at least a couple safety hazards in your workplace. For some people, working in potentially hazardous conditions is an everyday occurrence. Typically, employers will put safety measures in place to prevent their employees from getting hurt. Still, it happens on occasion. When working in a warehouse setting, there are a large number of things that could potentially harm you. Making sure to adhere to all safety precautions can help minimize your likelihood of getting hurt. If you do happen to get hurt at work, however, you should make s ..read more

Although it feels tedious and draining, there are several hoops that every person must jump through when going through the workers’ compensation process. If you want your injuries and lost wages covered, you are required to navigate your way through. As a matter of fact, how you handle these instances can be the difference between a fair settlement or one that leaves you dissatisfied. This is also a process that many people in Missouri must go through, as the number of injures experienced in the US increased by 7.5% year-over-year. For many workers’ compensation claims, the insurance provider ..read more

Throughout the long and difficult process of having your medical expenses paid by workers’ compensation, you will likely hear a lot of words and phrases thrown around. So many, you might notice, that many of them are just too infrequent to remember. One term that will likely stay at the forefront of your mind, however, is the acronym “MMI”, which is short for maximum medical improvement. You might hear yourself referred to as reaching your MMI, and now you’re unsure what direction your work comp claim (and your life) is taking. If you have a good understanding of what this term means, you and ..read more

There are very few instances where hitting another person is acceptable. Most of the time, attacking another person will very quickly land you an assault charge. Due to the violent nature of an assault charge, these kinds of crimes are taken very seriously, and you should not take an assault charge lightly. One example as to why the law takes assault so seriously happened just a short while ago, on December 15. One 38-year-old man, who was visiting the University Hospital, brutally attacked an on-duty nurse unprovoked. According to a report from KOMU, the man approached the nurse, then slammed ..read more

In the state of Missouri, we have many avenues to help people who commit crimes. Not every conviction needs to end in incarceration, and for many Americans, this is the case. The Bureau of Justice Statistics finds that over 3,745,000 adults in the United States are under probation or parole by the end of 2021. Through probation, charged criminals are released to the community and rehabilitated through the direction of a probation or parole officer, otherwise known as a PO. For many people who are currently under parole or probation, there may be an opportunity to be rewarded for good behavior ..read more

We have long since passed the winter solstice, and the days are slowly but surely getting longer. Even still, the sun will continue to set relatively early in the evening until we’re well into spring. The lack of sunlight can be more than just an inconvenience, however. It can also be a danger. The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration reports that the likelihood of a person dying in a car accident increases three times when you’re driving at night. Often, car accidents that happen at night can lead to serious injuries, which would require extensive medical care. You could have your m ..read more