Municipalities are placed in a unique position of having to worry about public outcry at the same time they have to be careful about the health of their employees. This is a fine balance because they don’t have the freedom to just do whatever they want with the money that’s in the municipality’s account. One area that’s often challenging is to dealing with worker injuries.
The municipality must handle these cases very carefully. They’re subject to very specific laws regarding the worker’s job duties and description. For example, the way that the municipality takes care of an injured police officer is very different from how a sanitation worker’s case would be handled.
In the case of police officers, there are some injuries that the municipality should be prepared to address. Municipalities have to ensure that they aren’t being put on the hook for injuries that didn’t have anything to do with the officer’s job. This can be accomplished by setting clear protocols for officers.
For example, being overweight is a big stressor on the body. Setting a physical fitness regimen may help to prevent officers from having their weight or lack of fitness interfere with their performance of their physical job duties. Excess body weight could put more pressure on the knees, which could contribute to knee injuries if the officer gives chase.
The municipality should also have specific rules for things like seat belt and body armor use. It may also behoove the municipality to have a plan to address the officers’ mental health since this is one very serious matter that could require treatment.
Ultimately, the officials of the municipalities must ensure they’re handling claims for work-related injuries in a lawful manner. Working with an experienced attorney may be beneficial for all.
