Colorado officer rushed to hospital after firework explosion

It is an injury that not many people in Colorado would associate with workers’ compensation, but a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer was injured last month by an exploding firework. The laws surrounding workers’ compensation for public employees and employees of extremely high-risk jobs, such as police officers, are often different than those from much tamer jobs. Because the differences can be fairly minute, it is important to work with a workers’ compensation attorney who is experienced with all types of clients.

In this story, a Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer was injured while he was investigating a report of wildlife being harassed by people with fireworks. While he was looking into the matter, he found an unexploded, but commercial-grade firework. The man brought the firework home with him and it exploded a few days later.

The officer’s condition is relatively unknown and reports indicate that he has asked for his privacy during his recovery. It is clear, however, that the man’s injuries were not life-threatening and he is recovering in a Denver hospital.

While he recovers, it is obvious that he is missing work and, thus, missing part of his income. He should not have to worry, however, that he will be missing several paychecks as he tries to get better from a wound that could have been much more serious. Instead, he should be able to rely on the workers’ compensation system to cover all the wages he will miss during his hospital stay. He should also be able to have his medical bills covered.

Source: The Denver Post, “State wildlife officer injured when firework explodes,” Tim Hoover, Nov. 17, 2012

Find out more about workers’ compensation laws for Colorado police officers and other high-risk jobs by visiting our website.

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