There is no question that construction work is dangerous, as there are many cases of serious or even fatal on-the-job injuries each year. Most of these construction site injuries involve someone getting hurt from falling from a high structure, being hit by a hard object, or being injured by a large piece of moving machinery. However, these are not the only ways to suffer a workplace injury on the construction site.
Witnesses say that the worker was on the job the day of the tragic accident when another worker hit a gas line with a piece of power equipment causing a massive explosion that is said to have rocked the entire subdivision and caused serious burns to one worker. When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the worker badly burned. They did what they could to stabilize the worker and then transported him to a burn unit of a local level one trauma center.
Unfortunately, for this worker and his family, the burns proved too severe, and he ultimately died as a result of his fatal workplace injury. As our Boston workers’ compensation attorneys can attest to, burn injuries are often the most painful and serious injuries a worker will ever experience. One of the reasons for this is because the fire in a third or fourth degree burn will cause destruction to the nerves and tissue, and this is extremely painful. In the case of a fourth degree burn, which is the most severe type of burn, there is not only full thickness destruction of the tissue, muscles, and organs, but also damage to the bone at the site of the burn. In addition to the damage caused by the burn, the open wound, even when dressed, leaves the patient very vulnerable to developing a serious infection, which can be a deadly secondary complication in and of itself.
One thing to note is that if a worker survives a serious burn injury while on the job, and he or she has permanent scarring to his hands, face, or neck, he may be eligible to receive additional workers’ compensation benefits for the permanent disfigurement under the workers’ compensation laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This additional benefits awards are generally paid in a single lump sum payment and should cause a reduction in the overall benefits. There are other types of special benefits in Massachusetts workers’ compensation cases, such as those involving a partial or total amputation of an arm, hand, leg, or foot.
However, it should be noted that the facts of every case are different, and you should speak with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney about your actual situation.
If you or someone you love has been injured a Boston work accident, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Construction worker injured in Metro East gas explosion dies, April 29, 2016, KMOV News 4, By Dan Greenwald
More Blog Entries:
Scope of Employment in Workers’ Compensation Cases, March 29, 2016, Boston Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog