Colorado is known for many wonderful features and for its wild west history. Apparently though the history of cowboys and good guys being injured on the job continues to this day. While the injured worker was not a actually a cowboy the alleged shooter could be considered a bad guy since the shooting did reportedly occur at a halfway house for convicted criminals.
Both a resident of the house and an employee were shot. While they are both expected to survive the attack, the employee could have suffered permanent disability from gunshot wounds. Former employees have come forward to make claims that the halfway house is a dangerous work environment that lacks any real security either for workers or clients.
The halfway house is alleged to have no locking front door nor any security surveillance available to prevent this type of workplace violence. The only surprise reportedly expressed by witnesses and former staff was that this type of incidence hadn’t occurred before this time. The house had been inspected within the last year and was passed with no record of violations.
The wild west is part of the history of Colorado. However, for today’s workers, there are mandates in place to prevent cases of being injured on the job. The state has enacted many laws to provide relief when a workplace accident has occurred. Some of the workers’ compensation insurance benefits to which injured workers are entitled include medical benefits and compensation for lost wages. Professionals trained to provide assistance should be sought out for the proper advice on how to proceed after a workplace injury.
Source: 9news.com, “Clients, former workers say halfway house where shooting occurred lacks security,” June 28, 2013