Many people in Montana think of workers’ compensation claims in terms of on-the-job accidents involving workers in construction or heavy industry. The system does indeed provide important benefits for those workers. But, workers’ compensation benefits can also be recovered for injuries that take months or even years to develop. And, many of the workers who are eligible to recover these…Read More
The family of a 39-year-old Montana man who died in the Bakken oil fields has brought a federal lawsuit against the Texas oil company that owned and operated the well where the man died. The victim was discovered dead on a catwalk at the drilling site in July of 2013. He had been inspecting oil levels in an oil collection…Read More
Silicosis is a serious and disabling lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. This material is found in rock, sand, granite and soil. It is also used for abrasive blasting in some occupations. Occupations at risk for silicosis include sandblasting, drilling and crushing rock and concrete, road construction and repair, and asphalt and concrete repaving. Symptoms of silicosis…Read More
Montana drivers are very familiar with highway work zones, especially in the summer months when construction projects are in full swing. Being delayed by the lane reductions, traffic cones and slower speed limits in work zones can be frustrating. But for those who make their living working on road construction, work zone traffic control is critical to their safety. According…Read More
Most residents of Montana work hard and take pride in the work they do. When they are injured at work their goal is generally to recover and get back to work as soon as possible. Unfortunately many workers’ compensation insurance providers deny injured workers the benefits they need to recover medically and financially. Montana’s workers’ compensation system represents a compromise…Read More
Over the past decade, many states, including Montana, have enacted so-called workers’ compensation “reforms” that are causing catastrophic hardships to the workers who need the benefits most. The alleged reforms include a law enacted in 2011 in Montana that allows insurance companies, once they accept a claim, to choose the doctors who will treat an injured worker. The Montana law…Read More
A number of previous posts in this blog have discussed the risk of serious on-the-job injuries to Montana workers in the Bakken oil fields. Among the most painful and disabling injuries that occur in the oil fields are severe burns. There have been over 3,100 burn injuries in the last five years to workers in the North Dakota oil fields…Read More
The development of technology to extract oil from the Bakken Shale fields of Montana and North Dakota has brought an unprecedented economic boom to the region. Well-paying jobs have attracted a lot of Montana workers to the oil industry. The work is tough and it can be dangerous. When a Montana oil field worker suffers a workplace injury accident or…Read More
When an employee is unable to work due to a workplace injury accident, lost wages are a major concern. Fortunately, Montana’s workers’ compensation system provides for various forms of wage loss benefits. If your doctor says you can’t return to work until you have recovered, you can make a claim for wage loss benefits. You can receive temporary total disability…Read More
Montana law requires that drivers move over a lane when emergency vehicles are at the side of the road. The law protects not only police officers and rescue personnel, but tow truck drivers who arrive at an accident scene to remove disabled vehicles and get traffic flowing again. Unfortunately, many Montana drivers do not obey the move-over law. One Billings…Read More