Articles Tagged with Boston work accident lawyer

One of the most dangerous types of accidents that can occur in a factory is known as a machine guarding accident.  A machine guarding accident involves a machine what was not properly guarding so as to prevent a worker from getting an arm, leg, hand, or other body part trapped in a piece of moving machinery.  An improperly guarded machine can easily result in serious personal injury or even death.

According to a recent news article from WCPO, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has just levied a substantial fine against a baking factory after a worker suffered a partial amputation of his arm while cleaning one of the machines at the factory.  The fine was just under $150,000. Continue reading

According to a recent news article from ABC News, a former employee of a Pennsylvania Wal-Mart Superstore retuned to the store later that same day and shot an employee.  Authorities have said this does not appear to be a random act of violence.

Witnesses reported the 22-year-old defendant returned to the store and shot his former coworker, because he was transitioning his gender from male to female, and the victim was allegedly offended by the defendant’s transition. The two men were reportedly fighting earlier that day before the defendant quit his job and later returned with a gun. Continue reading

While there is no shortage of reality shows about the world’s deadliest and dangerous jobs, ranging from being a crabber in the Bearing Sea to driving a truck on an ice road, or mining gold underwater, there are lot of ways to get injured or become ill while working at what most people would consider a more normal job.  Many people do not realize that these types of injuries are considered workplace injuries and may allow the injured worker to apply for workers’ compensation benefits.

A recent news article from Medical Daily takes a look at some common work-related medical conditions.  The first type of work-related injury or illness that is discussed is carpal tunnel syndrome.   Carpal tunnel syndrome will often result in serious pain in the hand and wrist and possibly the patient’s entire arm.  The condition can also cause weakness in addition to pain.  It is caused when you make repetitive movements that result in pressure being put on the carpal tunnel. Continue reading

In Hilton v. Flakeboard America Limited, a case from the Supreme Court of South Carolina, an individual was injured when he was bitten by a spider or insect while on the job.  There was no issue in this case as to whether the injury and related illness was compensable under the relevant workers’ compensation status, as it was clearly was, and there was no issue that the injured worker was an employee within the meaning of the statute.

In this case, the issue dealt with the concept of maximum medical improvement (MMI).   When someone is injured on the job, and the injury is treatable, they should be given as much treatment as is reasonably necessary to improve the injured workers’ condition. In some cases, this means treatment until the worker is fully recovered, while, in other cases, the worker will never make a full recovery. Continue reading

In the Massachusetts, the workers’ compensation system is a no-fault system.  This means it is not necessary to prove any negligence or fault in connection with a workplace injury or work related illness. This system is designed to benefit both the employer and the employee.

The way in which it benefits the employee is that there is no need to prove fault.  This means that if a worker was actually an employee within the statutory requirements, and the employer was injured at work or suffered from a work-related illness, he or she should be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.  It doesn’t matter if the employer or even another employee was negligently responsible for the accident. Continue reading

In what many are calling an attack on American workers, some of the nation’s leading big box retailers are leading and effort to make it legal across the country for employers to opt out of the workers’ compensation system.  Instead of being part of the traditional workers’ compensation system, these companies want to be able to decide for themselves what treatment, if any, their inured workers will receive, because they believe this plan will save them a lot of money.

The problem for workers is that the way they will save money is by choosing to deny their workers’ valid claims for medical treatment and benefits. According to a recent news feature from NPR, the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the version of this law in their state was unconstitutional. Continue reading

In Nichols v. Fairway Bldg. Prods., LP, a case from the Nebraska Supreme Court, claimant was injured while working as a forklift operator.  At the time of the accident, the forklift was on a raised hydraulic lift.  The lift collapsed while he was on it in the forklift, and the very heavy piece of equipment dropped about eight inches and landed with jarring force.

As a result of the forklift dropping, claimant said he had what he described as piercing back pain in his middle and lower back.  He said the pain had gotten worse over the course of a few hours, and he sought medical treatment that same day.  When he went for an examination, he was given an x-ray, but the x-ray came back negative. Continue reading

According to a recent news feature from the Cambridge Patch, a construction worker was injured when he was approximately 30 feet at the bottom of an underground trench in Cambridge.  Authorities say the man was lowered to the bottom of this deep trench in the ground and was there to help guide workers as they were using a crane to lower a large beam into the trench.

For reasons that are not entirely clear at this time, the workers lost control of this beam as it was being lowered, and it cut the man’s leg.  As a result of the cut he was bleeding profusely and was unable to climb out of the trench on the ladder that had been lowered for him.  Had this accident not occurred, he was expected to use the same ladder to get out of the trench once the beam was secured. Continue reading

In a follow-up to the recent news about a crane operator who suffered severe injuries in a Boston on-the-job accident, it has now been reported by the Boston Herald that this worker has died from his injuries.

The investigation has revealed that workers were attempting to disable the crane when the victim was still on it.  There is still an ongoing investigation into the cause of this Boston workplace accident, and there are a great number of questions about what actually happened in that Boston construction accident. Continue reading