 The holiday season often brings cheer, celebration, and a much-needed break from the daily grind. But for Ohio’s workforce, it can also bring an increase in workplace injuries. Between heavier workloads, shorter staffing, seasonal distractions, and winter weather, the holidays create conditions where accidents become far more common.
As a law firm that has spent over three decades protecting Ohio’s working families, The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young wants to help you stay safe, informed, and empowered both on and off the job. Why do we say holiday season? Lets be clear, when we say Holiday season, from November 1st to January 6th there are dozens of major secular and religious holidays ( and this is NOT an exhaustive list - Veterans Day, Diwali (Hindu, Sikh, Jain) – Date varies; often falls in November, Birth of Guru Nanak (Sikh) – Usually in November, Thanksgiving (U.S.) – 4th Thursday of November, St. Andrew’s Day (Christian/Scotland) – Nov 30, the season of Advent (Christian), Yule / Winter Solstice (Pagan/Wiccan), Hanukkah (Judaism), Feast of St. Nicholas (Christian), Bodhi Day (Buddhist), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic) Las Posadas (Christian) Christmas (Christian ), Feast of St. Stephen (Christian), Kwanzaa (African-American cultural), Boxing Day (U.K., Canada, etc.) New Year’s Eve and Day, Japanese Ōmisoka (Shinto/Buddhist), Zarathosht Diso (Zoroastrian), Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Catholic), Gantan-sai (Shinto), Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus (Christian), Birth of Guru Gobind Singh (Sikh) – Early January (date varies yearly), Epiphany aka Three Kings Day aka Armenian Christmas (Orthodox tradition)) So no matter what your background you have multiple to celebrate, but this can also put you at a bit of an increased risk for injuries. Why Holiday-Season Work Injuries Increase? Several factors combine to make November through January one of the highest-risk periods for Ohio workers: 1. Rushed and Fatigued Workers Holiday overtime, longer hours, and pressure to “get things done before year-end” can lead to fatigue, missed steps, and avoidable mistakes. 2. Short-Staffing and High Turnover Seasonal employees may be under-trained, and experienced workers may be stretched thin. 3. Weather-Related Hazards Ohio winters mean ice, snow, and freezing rain—conditions that lead to slips, trips, falls, and transportation-related injuries. 4. Increased Material Handling Warehousing, retail, manufacturing, and delivery workers often see dramatic spikes in lifting, loading, stocking, and moving goods. So here are a few common sense Holiday Safety Tips Every Ohio Worker Should Know 1. Take Your Time—Even When Things Get Busy It’s better to do a task safely than to do it fast. Rushing dramatically increases the risk of injury. 2. Use Winter Footwear and Watch Your Step Black ice in parking lots, loading docks, and sidewalks is responsible for thousands of injuries every winter. Use handrails, take shorter steps, and report unsafe areas immediately. 3. Lift Smart and Ask for Help Whether you’re moving inventory or setting up holiday displays, remember proper lifting techniques: * Bend at the knees * Keep the load close * Avoid twisting * Team-lift when needed 4. Stay Aware of Your Surroundings More activity on the floor—seasonal workers, holiday deliveries, equipment running overtime—means more chances for collisions or trips. 5. Don’t Skip Safety Procedures Guards, gloves, PPE, lockout/tagout, forklift protocols, these aren’t optional. Even during “crunch time.” 6. Be sensible and safe at the Holiday Party. Make sure you drink water and stay hydrated, remember when to say when with alcohol, don’t drink and drive. Despite following all of that, accidents can stil happen. If You’re Injured at Work During the Holidays: 1. Report the injury immediately to your employer and if possible get a copy of the report and any video of it. 2. Seek medical care immediately make sure your doctor documents the injury accurately and is Ohio BWC Certified. And remember you get to pick. 3. File a claim with the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. An Ohio Claim will be two digits, the last two of the year you file the claim a dash and then six digits (so a claim filed on January 1 would look like 26-123456. Internal company claim numbers don’t work on disputes and mean they are hiding your injury. 4. Call an experienced Ohio Workers’ Compensation attorney like us, you need them and you can afford them. At The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC, we’ve represented injured workers for more than 30 years. We know how to protect your rights and secure the benefits you deserve—Temporary Total Disability (TTD), Wage Loss, Scheduled Loss awards, medical treatment approvals, and more. Let us handle the legal side so you can focus on healing. A Few Final Thoughts The holidays should be a time of joy not injury. With a little extra awareness and a commitment to safety, Ohio workers can protect themselves, their coworkers, and their families. And if something goes wrong, know that you’re not alone. The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC is here to help Ohio’s working families—during the holidays and every day.
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Thankful for Our Clients: A Thanksgiving Message from The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC11/18/2025  As Thanksgiving approaches, many of us take a moment to look back on the past year sometimes with gratitude, sometimes with disbelief, and sometimes with the lingering question: Did that hearing really happen, or was it just a fever dream? Did the Ohio Supreme Court just say a gas that they want to use to execute prisoners with is not a dangerous gas for workplace safety purposes?
But here at The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC**, one thing we’re always genuinely thankful for is our clients. Every day, we’re reminded that Ohio’s working men and women are some of the toughest, most resilient people anywhere. You lift, haul, care for, build, repair, teach, transport, serve, and support the communities we live in. When injuries happen, you keep going often in pain, often unsure of what comes next yet still doing your best for your families. We’re grateful you trust us to help you navigate a system that can feel overwhelming even on its best days. We’re thankful for your patience when the BWC tests it. We’re thankful for your stories, your perseverance, and your sense of humor in the face of forms, deadlines, and hearings scheduled at wildly inconvenient times. We’re thankful for those moments where a client in a horrible situation says thank you, despite the fact that we are voice and face of a horrible at times system. And for the chances to really meet some of our clients. Ones who had the weight of the world on their shoulders during our initial meeting, but now that the bills are paid, the pain in managed, really show the wonderful people they are. Most of all, we’re thankful that we get to play even a small role in helping you get the care, compensation, and fairness you deserve. From all of us at The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC: Thank you for letting us serve Ohio’s working families. Have a safe, warm, and very Happy Thanksgiving! If you need us after the leftovers are gone, we’re here. (Well except Thanksgiving Day and the Friday after, we’ll be closed)  At The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC, we are proud to stand with the men and women who have served our country and now serve our communities as part of Ohio’s workforce.
Veterans bring unique skills, discipline, and a commitment to teamwork that strengthen every workplace. But we also understand that transitioning from military service to civilian employment can come with challenges — including injuries, both seen and unseen. When a veteran is hurt on the job, navigating the Ohio Workers’ Compensation system can feel overwhelming. Whether it’s understanding coverage for aggravations of prior service-related injuries, dealing with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, or ensuring access to needed medical care and wage replacement — we’re here to help. Our firm is honored to represent Ohio’s working veterans. We make it our mission to ensure that those who’ve served our nation are treated with dignity, respect, and fairness when they’re injured on the job. If you or a loved one who has served in the military has suffered a workplace injury in Ohio, we invite you to reach out to learn your rights and explore your options. The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC — Proudly helping Ohio’s workers, including those who’ve already served our country, get the benefits they’ve earned. And in honor of our veterans, we will be closed on Tuesday November 11, 2025.  Election Day is nearly here on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, Ohioans will have their opportunity to cast ballots for a range of local and county offices. As a firm that supports Ohio workers and their rights, and with Kurt serving previously as a voting rights attorney and of late on the Lucas County Board of Elections, we believe it’s important to ensure everyone who’s eligible can exercise this fundamental right.
Here are two key things to keep in mind: Bring a valid photo ID Ohio law requires that voters present a valid photo identification when voting in person. Acceptable forms of ID include an unexpired Ohio driver’s license, Ohio state ID card, interim ID from the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), a U.S. passport or passport card, a U.S. military ID, an Ohio National Guard ID, or a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ID. Find Where To Vote Sadly Boards of Elections do not own their polling places in Ohio or most states. We rent them. And private entities don’t have to rent to us. Also things about a polling place can change making it unusable. So you polling place may have changed. If you live in Lucas County, the Board of Elections has a one stop shop. Go to https://www.lucascountyohiovotes.gov/voter_information/index.php And you can check your registration, your polling place, even get a sample of what is on your ballot to look at in advance. If you don’t live in Lucas County you can still go to https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/ To check where to vote You don’t have to worry about getting to the polls Right here in the Toledo area, the Toledo Area Jobs with Justice (a non-partisan, volunteer-run organization) is offering free rides to the polls for anyone in need. Whether you’re commuting to your precinct on Election Day or heading to an early voting center, they’ve got you covered. Call (419) 868-3669 (419-VOTE-NOW) to schedule your ride. And we work with them so we know they are good and dependable. Don’t want to count on them? Well then how about TARTA? The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority is offering free rides on Election Day as well go here for more details. https://tarta.com/community/voter-ready-with-tarta/ Why this matters: People call these odd year elections “Off Year Elections” because we don’t vote for State or Federal Offices in most cases. But, we do vote for City, Village and Township Leaders, Board of Educations Leaders, also on levies and charter amendments that decide how your area is run. There are nearly over one hundred people, and over a dozen issues you could be asked to decide on. And to use a quote from an old tv show “Decisions are made by those who show up”. Final Tip: Plan ahead Check that your photo ID is valid and includes your name (it must “substantially conform” to the name on your registration, it’s OK if address doesn’t we have other safeguards to handle that). Confirm where you vote If transportation is the issue make sure to talk to TARTA or Toledo Area Jobs With Justice, the later has voicemail, leave one they do call back and again both are free and the later is DOOR TO DOOR service. Go on the Board of Elections website, or check with your League of Women Voters or Newspaper Website they will have what candidates and issues will be on the ballot. And make your mind up on what or who to support. If the ride-service line is busy, leave a voicemail (they will call you back). Make a plan: when you’ll go, how you’ll get there, and what you’ll bring. Share the free ride option with friends or coworkers who might benefit. Plan out your time to go and then go and vote. At our firm, we believe that participating in democracy is part of being a meaningful member of the workforce and the community. We hope you’ll make your voice heard on November 4. Believe us the choices we have made in 1994 to now have dramatically shifted workers compensation law against you. But you can start to change that. But no matter who you vote for get there. Don’t give up a right won by brave women & men facing bayonets and bombs or fire hoses and snarling dogs. The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC www.kmylaw.com fighting hard for Hard-Working Ohioans |
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