SK Battery Workers

Injured on the Job at SK Battery America in Georgia? See What Workers’ Comp Benefits You Have!

In Georgia, the law protects employees who died on the job or suffered job-related injuries through workers’ compensation benefits. But if you or a loved one was injured or died on the job as an SK Battery employee in Georgia, you may wonder what compensation benefits you are entitled to.

Georgian laws require businesses or employers with three or more workers to have workers’ compensation insurance. So, as an employee in a company like SK Battery America with thousands of workers, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, including payment of medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses associated with your injury.

Since Georgia uses a no-fault system, you don’t have to prove that anyone was at fault for your workplace injury to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. But not many injured SK Battery employees know that they qualify for these benefits, nor do they know how to claim them.

Keep reading to learn more about your rights under Georgia’s Workers’ Compensation Law, or call +1 404-445-8370 if you want to speak with someone about your case.

Hurt on the Job at SK Battery America? Here’s What to Do!

If you’ve been injured on the job as an SK Battery employee in Georgia or lost a loved one to a workplace accident, it can be hard to put your life back together, especially if you’re dealing with pain and financial hardship.

But what is more painful is not claiming the rights and benefits to which you or your loved one was entitled. To qualify for workers’ compensation benefits and claim your rights, you must act quickly and go about it correctly. Following an on-the-job injury at SK Battery America, here are four things you should do.

Seek immediate medical help
Report your injury to your supervisor or manager
Contact an expert workers’ compensation attorney in Georgia
Gather evidence and documentation.

1: Seek Immediate Medical Help

The first thing to do after a workplace injury is to seek medical help, and your first stop should be the on-site medical team. SK Battery America has no organized emergency response team or first aid kits located in work areas. So, in the case of an emergency following a workplace accident, you can call 911 and get treatment at your employer’s expense.

If there’s a medical team onsite, be sure to get their evaluation and follow their recommendations. However, you have the legal right to seek a second opinion from any physician of your choice if you’re not satisfied with the assessment of the medical team SK Battery America provides.

2: Report Your Injury to Your Manager

Once you’ve gotten the medical attention you need, you should report your injury to your manager, supervisor, or HR representative, within 30 days of the incident. Your report should specify the date and location of the accident. If you cannot report your injury immediately, get a trusted coworker to do it for you.

4: Contact an Experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Following your injury, you should contact an experienced Georgia workers’ comp attorney to help protect your rights and navigate your compensation claim. And this is where we come in.

At Gearhart Law Group, we have 20+ years of experience protecting the rights of injured employees and their families in Georgia. So, if you want help to claim your rights and get back on your feet, you can call us at +1 404-445-8370 for more information about how we can help.

5: Gather Evidence and Documentation

Following an on-the-job injury at SK Battery America, you should gather evidence to show that your injury happened on the job and that a pre-existing condition didn’t cause it. Some critical evidence and documentation you should show your attorney relating to your case include the following:

Copies of medical records with detailed written records of your illness or injury
Relevant communication with your employer
Photos of the injury
Photos of the workplace hazard (if possible), e.g., unsecured equipment
A description of what happened
A witness (usually a coworker).

SK Battery America is a Dangerous Place to Work. You Have Every Right to Claim Your Compensation Benefits Following an Injury!

SK Battery America is a dangerous place to work. And with poor communication, toxic workplace culture, and long tiresome 12-hour shifts, it is easy for an employee who works for SK Battery to get injured. Here are some specific reasons why the SK Battery plant in Georgia is a dangerous place to work.

Inept Supervisors and Poor Onboarding

There are many reasons why working at SK Battery America could be dangerous. For example, several employees have complained that there’s a complete lack of standardization across the board regarding training. There are times when employees are completely unsure what to do, and when they turn to supervisors or trainers for guidance, they aren’t much help. So, they are pretty disorganized and have insufficient training.

Also, some supervisors and managers onsite are inept and can’t make up their minds or stay on the same page. They give employees long, tedious tasks that do not relate to their job titles, and on top of that, micromanage and treat them horribly. And because some of the supervisors and employees are from overseas, there are communication gaps.

When you have inept supervisors and co-workers who are not well-trained, you will always worry if you will get injured due to a co-worker’s mistake or a supervisor’s oversight. And this is why workplace accidents at SK Battery America are pretty commonplace.

Poor, Unsafe Working Environment

Employees are required to work long 12-hour shifts (usually longer by 45 minutes) in a workplace with exposure to excessive amounts of black-powdered carbon particulates, graphite, and nitrogen gas. Sadly, SK Battery America does not always provide employees with masks, safety glasses, and earplugs, exposing them to significant health and occupational hazards.

Lack of Adherence to OSHA Safety Standards

The safety standards at SK Battery America are subpar at best. They have failed to follow certain American OSHA standards since construction started. For instance, during the SK Battery America construction, there were reports of contractors bringing in illegal foreign workers who didn’t know or understand American safety standards.

Due to their negligence, an American construction worker, Cameron Bell, died just 21 days after he started working at SK Battery America. He and other American workers had always had safety concerns and had expressed their concerns to OSHA about the contractors not paying attention to safety standards. He fell from a roof three stories high and didn’t have his safety belt on because there was no place to hook it. His fall also injured a second worker.

This happened after workers complained that they were exposed to fall hazards for tasks performed on ceiling grids not designed to be walked on. So, SK Battery America sacrificed people’s safety for production and failed to create and enforce safety rules and guidelines.

Common Types of Workplace Accidents at SK Battery America

SK Battery America employs thousands of workers who put their health on the line daily. And because it is a high-hazard workplace, there are high rates of injury and illness among workers.

For example, lithium-ion batteries are highly volatile and can explode if they come into contact with water or moisture. So, employees risk explosions and blunt traumatic injuries. Also, employees who work on equipment and machinery that requires specific skills, great intensity, and precision are at risk for injuries when they work long 12-hour shifts.

Some of the common injuries and hazards SK Battery employees are exposed to include:

Accidents caused by a coworker in the plant
Exposure to toxic fumes, harmful gasses, and dust particles that can lead to cancers or irritate the respiratory system
Battery fires and explosions that can cause serious burns and death
Exposure to high noise and vibration that can lead to deafness
Exposure to molten metal
Electrical shocks
Heat stress
Exposure to hazardous chemicals
Falls

Things get worse when you realize there’s no emergency exit training for employees in case of a fire, and there are no first aid kits in work areas.

Benefits Available to Injured Workers at SK Battery America

If you’ve been injured while working at SK Battery America, you may wonder what workers’ compensation benefits you have. Here are some benefits you or your loved ones are entitled to following an on-the-job injury at SK Battery America.

Lost wages: Georgia law requires employers to provide employees with temporary total disability (TTD), temporary partial disability (TPD), or permanent disability benefits.
Medical bills and rehabilitation expenses: Your employer must provide you with medical care while you recover from your injury. This includes bills for medication, therapy, doctor appointments, etc.
Funeral and burial costs (in fatal work accidents): Employers have to cover funeral and burial costs for employees who lost their lives in an on-the-job accident.

Workers’ comp claims are subject to time limits in Georgia. So, if you were injured while working at SK Battery America, you have 30 days to report the accident to your supervisor and must file the claim within one year of the date of injury.

Why Do You Need an Experienced Workers’ Comp Lawyer to Help You Claim Your Rights?

If you have been injured on the job at SK Battery America, you need to find a Workers’ Compensation Attorney as quickly as possible. Many injured employees make the mistake of trying to handle their cases themselves, which wastes time and can cause further damage to their health.

Also, it is a bad idea to try and handle this process alone because workers’ compensation is often complex and difficult to navigate. If you get hurt working for SK Battery in Georgia and file a claim without the help of an experienced workers’ comp attorney, your employer may try to deny your claim or force you to take a lowball offer.

SK Battery, like other big companies, may also force you back to work too soon. And if they do, it’s likely to cause permanent injury—which could mean losing your job entirely! Some other tactics they can use include:

Claiming the damage caused by an injury or illness is not severe
Accusing injured employees of faking their illness or injury
Wrongly informing employees that they are not entitled to a second medical opinion from a doctor of their choice
Discouraging or threatening injured employees
Discouraging injured workers from seeking legal counsel
Misinforming employees that their actions will lead to denied benefits.

Without an attorney, SK Battery America may deny you your rights. But with an experienced workers’ comp attorney on your side, you can rest assured to get legal counsel to ensure your best interests and protect your rights. So, hiring an attorney doesn’t mean you plan to sue your employer. It’s just a way to protect your rights!

Work-Related Injuries Can Affect You for Years to Come—Get the Best Compensation!

SK Battery workers’ compensation benefits is a complicated legal matter that can be difficult for an injured or deceased employee to navigate. So, it is important to have a seasoned workers’ compensation lawyer look over your case and ensure that you get the best compensation. And that’s where we come in.

At Gearhart Law Group, we aim to resolve your case quickly so you can get your life back to normal sooner. We understand how you feel and are ready to listen to you. That’s why we offer free consultations, give personalized attention, and keep you updated at all stages.

Work-related injuries can impact you for years to come. So, act today to protect your rights! You deserve full compensation if you or your loved one has an on-the-job injury at SK Battery America, and we can help you get that.