Injuries resulting from falls and falling objects are most likely two of the most common that comes to mind when someone hears the phrase "workers' compensation." The reality however is there are many different types of injuries a worker may incur via many different types of situations.

Workers with several different Pittsburgh area businesses learned this first-hand earlier this week. The businesses for which they worked were located in a portion of West Mifflin that was assaulted with an odor described as "chemically." The strange odor cause a group of people, including workers at a McDonalds, Denny's and First National Bank to become ill and four businesses to be evacuated.

More than 12 McDonald's employees received oxygen at the scene. Two individuals from Denny's, including an employee, along with one bank employee had to go to a hospital. It is not clear how they are doing or if they have left the hospital.

Should the workers who became ill not be able to return to work, they may choose to apply for workers' compensation benefits. If granted, they could provide the financial means necessary to pay medical bills and cover lost wages. Long-term benefits are also available in some situations when a person is not able to return to work because of the injuries or illness.

An investigation has been launched into the origin of the mysterious odor. As a part of that investigation, officials with the Allegheny County Health Department were on hand to take sampled of the air for tests.

Source: WPXI, "Mysterious odor sickens several, forces evacuations at West Mifflin businesses," Aug. 15, 2012

Our firm handles similar situations to the one discussed in this post. If you would like to learn more about our practice, please visit our Pennsylvania workplace injuries page.