LEAP INTO 2020
Facts About the Leap Year
WHO The odds of being born on Feb. 29 are 1 in 1,461. That means that of the roughly seven billion people in the world, only about five million of them are “leaplings.” The number of leaplings currently living in the U.S. is roughly 187,000. Some famous leaplings include motivational speaker Tony Robbins, rapper Ja Rule, and singer Mark Foster of Foster the People. However, the most famous leapling is probably Superman. When you invent a super-being, you might as well give him a super-birthday. WHERE Anthony, Texas/New Mexico (a single town that straddles the two states’ borders), claims the title “Leap Year Capital of the World.” The city throws one massive birthday party for all leaplings but invites everyone to join the celebration. Two leapling neighbors from Anthony began the tradition in
Like the Olympics and presidential elections, leap years only occur once every four years, which is why many people look forward to Feb. 29. But there’s a lot that you might not know about this quirk on the calendar. WHY To keep the calendar in sync with Earth’s orbit around the sun, an extra day is added to it every four years. Earth takes exactly 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, and 46 seconds to orbit the sun. Those extra hours add up over time, so another calendar day becomes necessary. But a leap year doesn’t occur every four years. Adding that extra day still doesn’t quite keep Earth on track, so the calendar skips leap years that occur during century years not divisible by 400. For example, 2000 was a leap year, but 2100 won’t be.
1988, and it’s blossomed into a festival with thousands of participants every four years. It includes banquets, hot air balloons, a carnival, concerts, parades, and more. When you have four years to plan in between each shindig, there’s time to go big. Celebrate this leap year by doing something unusual or new. It’s a special day that doesn’t occur often, so make the most of it by doing something you’ll talk about for another four years.
A construction worker was leaning over a railing while on the job. Unbeknownst to him, a bolt, which was key to the railing’s stability, had been removed by the homeowner. Suddenly, the railing gave way, and the worker plummeted 15 feet to the ground, suffering serious injuries. Naturally, he wanted to recover damages for this accident, so he went to a workers’ compensation lawyer, not knowing that he also had a personal injury claim. So, when someone is injured at work, the question is this: Should they file a workers’ comp claim or a personal injury claim? WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? From an injured worker’s perspective, the most significant difference between a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party claim is that the workers’ compensation system does not allow the employer or their insurance company to pay the worker money to compensate them for their pain and suffering. Thus, a workers’ compensation claim will only cover medical expenses and lost wages. However, as third-party claims are personal injury cases, you can hold the responsible party accountable for the full extent of the harm they caused you. HURT ON THE JOB Many people make the mistake of assuming that just because you are hurt on the job, the injury needs to be treated as a workers’ compensation case. In a workers’ compensation claim, the employee does not have to A CRUCIAL DIFFERENCE Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, or Both?
prove fault to receive compensation from their employer. In a personal injury case, an employee must prove that someone other than their employer created a dangerous condition that led to the injury in order to recover compensation. When an employee is injured at work by someone due to the fault of someone other than their employer — for example, the manufacturer of faulty equipment, a third-party driver, the actions of an employee of a contractor or subcontractor, or a property owner who was not a direct employer — then an employee may have grounds for a personal injury case. THIRD-PARTY CLAIMS Third-party claims exist for these exact situations, and they’re more common than you might think. The scenario with the injured construction worker is based on a client whose case we resolved favorably. In fact, he was referred to us by the workers’ compensation lawyer he originally sought out. But we see plenty of other examples of these claims throughout the year, especially when it comes to car accidents. Whether they’re a ride-share driver or are simply running to the office-supply store to get more toner, many people wind up in auto crashes while on the clock. When these accidents are due to the negligence of a third- party driver, pursuing a personal injury claim can make a huge impact on the damages an employee can recover. Unsure where your case falls? Call us for a consultation. If your accident would be better handled as a workers’ compensation claim, we’d be happy to recommend some experts in that field.
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