Worker Killed in Explosion at NJ Welding Supply Shop
Thomas Coon, a long-time employee at a New Jersey welding supplies shop was killed when a 60-pound oxygen tank he was filling exploded. According to this article, the 60-year-old victim had worked at the shop for more than 30 years. The company fills tanks with industrial gases such as oxygen, nitrogen, and acetylene.
The force of the blast on May 13 at the J.W. Goodliffe and Son building in Linden, NJ damaged a door and a concrete block wall. Nine other people were in the building. Coon was the only one who suffered because of the explosion.
The cause of the workplace accident is not yet known.
The family of Thomas Coon has a potential workers’ compensation claim. It may be in their best interest to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine an incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing. An experienced attorney would also look into a “third party claim.” These are claims that are filed against parties that are not the worker’s employer. It could be a contractor, a sub-contractor, or even the manufacturer of a defective product. If it is determined that one of those parties was responsible for an accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.
In Pennsylvania, every company must carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance in the case an employee is injured on the job, becomes ill due to circumstances surrounding their job, or even if death results from their job. Benefits can include medical expenses, lost wages and death benefits. Workers’ compensation exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system, which means that no guilt needs to be proved in a case; only that the injury sustained occurred while on the job.
If you or someone you love has been injured at work, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. These dedicated and skilled PA work injury lawyers will do everything possible to get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work and more.
