Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog

February 11, 2017

Diver Inspecting Braintree Water Tank Dies in Workplace Accident

According to a recent news report from the Boston Globe, a worker was killed in Braintree while he was diving to inspect an enormous water tank with his son nearby. The tank is four stories high and was filled with freezing cold water at the time of the incident.

Authorities report the man was hired to inspect this huge water tank and was inside of it that morning when he reported to others on the site that he was having trouble with his air supply. This was around 10 a.m. This communication was he last. He thereafter lost contact with workers on the surface, who were the last to see him alive. Continue reading

February 9, 2017

Co-Worker Liability for On-the-Job Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent case from the Supreme Court of Washington, deals with the scope of workers’ compensation exclusivity rules regarding an auto accident involving two co-workers that occurred as one was leaving a shift and one was just coming on. The two employees worked together at a major aerospace engineering corporation.

At around 6:30 a.m., after the defendant finished working his overnight shift at the aircraft factory, he was walking to his car where it was parked in the employee parking lot. He then got into his vehicle and drove across an access road still located on factory-owned property. This was not a publicly maintained roadway. Continue reading

February 7, 2017

Report: Construction Worker in Framingham Massachusetts Suffers Serious Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, a Framingham construction worker was seriously injured in an on-the-job accident. The victim, who was 38-years-old at the time of his serious workplace accident, suffered severe injuries to his pelvis and his legs.

Authorities said the victim was a man who was working on the construction site when a 5,000-pound front loader with a backhoe slipped down an icy hill. The large piece of construction equipment slipped more than 15 feet down the embankment and then crashed through a retaining walling and fell another 10 feet. When it finally came to a stop, it landed on the worker, and he was seriously injured in this workplace accident. Continue reading

February 3, 2017

Deli Worker Files Lawsuit after Workplace Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news report from the Joliet Patch, an employee who worked in deli department of a big box retailer filed a lawsuit after he was allegedly injured on the job. His injury occurred when a 50-pound box of frozen chicken reportedly fell on him.

According to his complaint, he was taking these heavy boxes down from a shelf in the freezer when a handle broke, and the box landed on him. He further alleged that these boxes were manufactured with handles on each side and one of the handles was defective, which was the reason it broke, resulting in his personal injury. Continue reading

January 30, 2017

Marijuana and Worker Safety

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

With marijuana now being legal in Massachusetts, some are questioning what will happen if workers are showing up for the job under the influence of marijuana. This is not an easy question to answer, since many consider the drug a medicine just like any other drug, according to a recent news article from Claims Journal.

For obvious reasons, the insurance industry and especially those companies that sell workers’ compensation policies in the Commonwealth are concerned about this issue, since marijuana was legalized in the 2016 election when voters approved that new law. As one might imagine, the workers’ compensation insurance companies do not want to pay benefits to an employee who was injured when he or she was under the influence of marijuana. Continue reading

January 27, 2017

Worker Killed During Snow Removal

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating a fatal accident in which a worker was killed during a snow removal operation, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Authorities have said the victim was a carpenter hired on for the project that involved a major renovation at a storm water reservoir. This is a major project that is estimated to cost around $640 million by the time it is complete. The man was 55-years-old at the time of his death when he was hit by what is known as a rough terrain vehicle being used to clear snow so the work on the reservoir could continue. Continue reading

January 24, 2017

OSHA BloodBorne Pathogens Standard 15-Years-Old

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In 2001, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) first rolled out major updates to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards. This was created by enabling legislation from the 2000 Needestick Safety and Prevention Act. This was actually a watershed moment for workers, as it was one of the rare times in recent history that Congress unanimously passed any legislative act, especially one involving worker safety.

The act, as the name implies, was created to cut down on the number of accidental needle sticks among healthcare workers that could, and often would, result in unnecessary exposure to blood and bloodborne pathogens and the spread of disease to these brave health care employees working on the front lines. Continue reading

January 21, 2017

Boston Program to Combat Injured Workers’ Opioid Addictions

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The greater Boston area has a serious problem with opioid addiction among broad sectors of industry. In some cases, it’s heroin and other illicit street drugs. However, we are also seeing a major problem with an addition to prescription painkillers among injured workers, according to a recent news article from the Lowell Sun.

This statewide problem has gotten to the point where Governor Charlie Baker and his administration have decided to start a two-year pilot program. This pilot program is for workers in Boston and around the Commonwealth who have already settled their workers’ compensation cases. All of the workers who will participate in this program are currently being treated with opioid-based painkillers for their on-the-job injuries. Continue reading

January 17, 2017

Cirque Du Soleil Worker Dies in On-The-Job Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

When people go to the circus, they go to see the amazing things all of the performers can do. This is especially true in the case of Cirque du Soleil, where they don’t have any animal acts in the show. Many of the things these performers do during the show are dangerous or “death-defying,” as P.T. Barnum use to say.

However, in addition to the many talented performers, there are also many people on the crew that work to get the show up and running. While working on the crew is not typically billed as a daring stunt, like many other jobs, it can be dangerous or even deadly. According to a news report from CBS News, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating an accident that involved a crew member of a Cirque du Soleil “Luzia” show that resulted in the crew member’s death. Continue reading

January 14, 2017

Worker in Weymouth, Massachusetts Injured by Falling Tool

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Working in construction is one of the more dangerous occupations in the United States. There are so many different ways one could be injured. We typically see cases where construction workers are injured in fall accidents, power tool accidents, heavy equipment accidents, and various other types of accidents.

According to a recent news article from The Patriot Ledger, a worker in Weymouth, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, was injured when a nail gun slid off the roof and hit him in the head. While this type of injury is often portrayed in comedies as resulting in pain, but little if any actual injury, in reality, this is a very serious, and potentially deadly, on-the-job accident. In this case, the worker suffered a serious head injury. Continue reading