Workers’ Compensation for Teachers Injured in the Workplace

At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we know how hard teachers and educators work, and what a thankless job it can be sometimes. When you get hurt, you can be sure that you have an ally. Our Delaware workers’ compensation attorneys have the benefit of being able to draw on more than 100 years of combined legal experience. We make sure that you get the compensation you deserve.

While you might not think that teaching is a dangerous occupation, but teachers do suffer workplace injuries. It is true that teaching is not quite as dangerous or injury-prone as being a police officer or a construction worker, teachers face the risk of injury and illness every day. The injury rate for public school teachers is about double the rate of injury for teachers at private schools according to Education By the Numbers.

What types of injuries to teachers suffer?

There are many different types of injuries and illnesses that teachers can sustain in the classroom and on field trips including:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Work-related stress
• Neck injuries
• Shoulder injuries from lifting and straining
• Back injury from lifting, bending and twisting
• Knee injuries
• Ankle injuries
• Hand, finger and thumb injuries from repetitive stress
• Foot injuries from slips and falls

School violence

Whenever there is a school shooting or a violent confrontation in the classroom, teachers are at risk for serious injuries and even death. Since 2013, there have been at least 172 school shootings in the U.S., which is an average of about one a week according to Every Town Research.

Workers’ Compensation for injured teachers

If you suffer an injury while you are on the clock during the course of your teaching duties, you may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim, which includes a partial wage-replacement and medical expenses related to the injury.

Public school teachers are public employees and are therefore subject to the guidelines and provisions in their contract. Full-time teachers, guidance counselors and other education professionals may be members of a teachers’ union, which will have its own policies and procedures with regard to injuries and illnesses on the job.

The workers’ compensation attorney team at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman are here to make sure that teachers and other education professionals who get injured on the job obtain the compensation they deserve. When you schedule a free consultation to discuss your case you will receive answers to your questions and guidance as to your best course of action given the facts of your case.

You are welcome to fill out our contact form or call 302-888-2900 to make an appointment for a free consultation at our offices in Wilmington, Newark or Seaford. We serve injured clients throughout Delaware.