Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

On January 26, a New York City sanitation worker died after he was pinned between a tractor trailor and his garbage truck. According to an article on NBC.com, the 41-year-old man worked for the department for 11 years. He was the father of two daughters and very well liked in his district.

This man’s family is eligible for worker’s compensation benefits through his employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker’s family. It may be in the worker’s family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

A“third party claim” may be considered in which a claim may be 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "NYC Sanitation Worker Dies on the Job" »

On February 7, 2010, an explosion at the Kleen Energy Systems in Connecticut blew out the walls of an unfinished power plant and set off a fire during a test of natural gas lines. According to an article on Philly.com, the explosion killed at least five workers and injured a dozen or more.

The cause of the gas explosion was unknown and is under investigation. It left huge pieces of metal that once encased the plant peeling off its sides. A large swath of the structure was blackened and surrounded by debris, but the building, its roof and its two smokestacks were still standing.

The article said that 50 to 60 people were in the area at the time of the explosion, and multiple contractors were working on the project.

Workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging the gas line when the explosion occurred.

At least a dozen people had injuries ranging from minor to very serious.

Safety board investigators have done extensive work on the issue of gas line purging since an explosion last year at a Slim Jim factory in North Carolina killed four people. They’ve identified other explosions caused by workers who were unsafely venting gas lines inside buildings.

The workers here who sustained any injuries and the families of the workers who died because of the explosion are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Gas Blast at Connecticut Power Plant Kills at Least 5" »

A worker from Oneida, PA, died on February 1 after falling from a lift at the demolition site of a church.

According to an article on Philly.com, the Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner said the 53-year-old man died after the accident happened at St. George Roman Catholic Church in Shenandoah, PA.

The article reported that the man fell about 60 feet when he and another worker were shoring up a part of the church’s steeple. The other worker was treated at a nearby hospital.

The church was closed in 2006 because of structural problems.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

Continue reading "Demolition Worker Dies after Pa. Church Accident" »

Two brothers from Mooresville, N.C., who were injured in a deadly explosion at an International Paper Co. mill in Mississippi, have agreed to settle their federal lawsuit.

According to an article, the brothers were injured when a 12-story recovery boiler blew when workers tried to restart it after annual maintenance. The explosion happened at the Redwood plant on May 3, 2008. One man was killed and nearly two dozen others were hurt.

The boiler didn’t have adequate steam, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA fined International Paper $77,000 for two alleged violations.

The brothers, both in their late 20s, said they were burned on their faces and hands, suffered some hearing loss and were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, among other things.

They sued in U.S. District Court in Mississippi on Jan. 26, 2009. The lawsuit claimed International Paper recklessly ignited the boiler when it was filled with combustible gas.

The article stated that the settlement will help the brothers recover from financial and emotional hardships they have faced since the explosion.

An International Paper spokeswoman said six cases related to the explosion have been settled. Two are still pending in federal court and two are pending in state court.

The worker here is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Lawsuit Settled Over Deadly Miss. Paper Mill Blast" »

A bridge worker who fell about 50 feet into the Hackensack River, died from his injuries. According to an article, the 55-year-old man from North Arlington, NJ was working for the CSX rail line when he fell from the Wittpenn Bridge on January 29.

The worker made his way to some pilings but lost consciousness due to hypothermia.

Emergency service workers soon hoisted him to the bridge in a basket and took him to a nearby hospital. He died several hours later.

At the time of the accident, the male worker had been on the CSX bridge near the Wittpenn, which connects Jersey City and Kearny along Route 7 in New Jersey.

The worker here is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Worker Dies after Fall from NJ Bridge" »

According to a recent article, federal safety officials are investigating a DuPont chemical plant after a series of leaks that resulted in the death of one worker.

The DuPont Belle plant in West Virginia is on safety shutdown after three leaks were reported. One leak, which released about 1,900 pounds of hazardous methyl chloride, went unnoticed for 5 days.

The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board are investigating.

On January 23, 2010 a worker was taken to a Charleston hospital after being exposed to the chemical phosgene. The article reported that a 58-year-old man who was a 32-year DuPont employee died on January 24, 2010.

Phosgene is used to make plastics and pesticides, and can damage the respiratory system.
The company reported the methyl chloride leak to emergency officials on January 22. On the 23rd, the worker was taken to the hospital after being exposed to phosgene residue in a transfer line.

Continue reading "W. Va. DuPont Worker Dies after Phosgene Exposure" »

A 33-year-old construction worker died in Southhampton Village, New York on January 4, 2010 when a foundation wall at a worksite collapsed and pinned him underneath. According to a report, the accident may have been the result of poor workmanship and attempts to cut corners.

The worker was trapped beneath the fallen concrete wall.

According the article, the victim was digging under the wall before the collapse to install footings, structural supports that should have been in place before the concrete wall was poured and the forms were removed.

An inspector for the Southampton Village commented that the concrete wall should have been reinforced with steel, but was not reinforced at all.

The construction site is being investigated by the Village Building department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The family of this deceased worker would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "Worker Killed in Job Site Accident" »

A 45-year-old emergency worker was killed on January 11 as he helped a stranded motorist on I-76 in Camden County. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the New Jersey Department of Transportation employee was assisting the driver of a broken-down minivan near the I-295 interchange when he was struck by a Dodge Magnum.

The Dodge was driven by a 28-year-old woman from Berlin, NJ. She also hit the broken down mini-van, injuring that vehicle’s driver and a passenger.

The worker was pronounced dead at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey.

The family of this NJ DOT worker would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "Worker Killed Aiding Motorist " »

A 30-year-old man from Connelly Springs, North Carolina, died at a construction site on December 24 when he fell in a hole and dirt collapsed around him.

According to an article, he was working for Neill Grading Co. of Hickory, NC when he died at a sewer line construction site near Shelby, NC.

Workers dug the man out and Emergency Medical Services workers took him to a Medical Center. He was pronounced dead about an hour after the accident.

A witness said he was changing some equipment when he heard a construction foreman yell out that the worker had fallen into the hole.

According to the article, workers were not ready to put a pipe in the hole. They do not yet know why the victim was in the area where he was.

An investigator from the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration also was summoned to the site.

The family of this deceased worker would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "North Carolina Man Dies at Construction Site" »

According to this article on MSN.com, a criminal investigation may be launched to look into whether negligence was a factor in a fatal construction accident in Toronto, Canada. Four workers died and one was seriously injured in the accident that happened on December 24 at an apartment building. The work platform they were using to repair balconies split in two. The platform, also called a swing stage, was 13 stories up.

The president of the Ontario Federation of Labour said that a criminal probe might determine if the four workers who died were provided proper safety equipment and supervision.

A fifth worker suffered fractured legs and a broken spine and was in intensive care. The Toronto Star reported that this worker regained consciousness.

Continue reading "Workers' Deaths Need Criminal Probe" »

Construction is the second-most dangerous occupation in the nation. A Philadelphia worker’s fatal fall in October from 125 feet as his aerial lift toppled is one example.

According to a Philadelphia Inquirer article, the worker who fell was a highly trained union journeyman with an expertise in high work. However, the type of equipment he was using in Center City can pose problems on construction sites.

It carries the risks of any large piece of machinery, yet is used by all sorts of tradesmen.
The man was working on the stone exterior of a Philadelphia Church on October 12 when a wheel of his aerial lift broke through a utility panel on the sidewalk.

The lift swayed and then crashed to the street. He was killed by the impact.

Aerial lifts act as a mechanical and movable alternative to scaffolding.

Most apprentice programs offer basic training in using the lifts, which includes routine instructions on being harnessed properly, checking the ground surface, and not moving the lifts while they are extended.

Specific training on each machine is usually provided by the contractor or rental company. Sometimes the training is not extensive and OSHA regulations do not specify how much training is enough. Training costs can also be a factor.

The Inquirer reported that in 2008, 969 workers died in construction accidents nationally. Of those, 332 died in falls and 201 in contact with objects and equipment. Transportation accidents and exposure to dangerous environments killed most of the rest.

In the Philadelphia area, 15 construction workers died in 2008 — five from falls, four in transportation accidents, three from contact with equipment, and three from exposure to dangerous environments.

Continue reading "Center City Death Shows Hazards of Aerial Lifts" »

On December 19, a contract worker at the Denver airport died after falling into about 20 feet of water at the bottom of a 40-foot-deep pit at the airport’s heating and cooling plant.

According to an article, the man fell in the morning and Denver Police Department divers recovered his body later in the day.

A spokesman for the Denver International Airport said the man was a paint inspector working for an outside company under contract with the airport.

The article stated that airport officials do not know how he fell. The pit’s opening is about 4 feet by 8 feet and the accident is under investigation.

Continue reading "Worker Dies after Falling in Pit at Denver Airport" »

According to an Associated Press article that appeared on Philly.com, one worker was killed and two others were injured on December 4 when a boiler failed at a Valero petroleum refinery in eastern Texas. The refinery employs about 480 people.

The article reported that the two people who were injured in the incident were in good condition.
A Valero Energy Co. spokesman did not confirm whether there had been an explosion or a fire during the failure without further investigation.

The worker who died and one of the injured were Valero employees. The other injured person was a contract worker who was taken to a hospital in Texas City.

After the boiler failed, the plant continued operating and there was no environmental damage.
The workers here as well as the family of the worker who died, would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "1 Killed, 2 Injured in Texas Refinery Accident" »

One worker was killed and another injured on November 10 when a crane tipped over at the construction site of a Kansas City, Missouri performing arts center. According to an article on KansasCity.com, the two men were in the bucket of the 100-foot-tall JLG Lift when it fell away from the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. It then landed across a platform of steel beams.

One of the men was pronounced dead at a hospital and the other was listed in serious but stable condition.

The men were installing steel panels on the building for Detroit-based subcontractor Midwest Steel.

According to the article, the center will be the home of the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Ballet.

Crane accidents kill up to 82 construction workers each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

Continue reading "Kansas City Crane Accident Kills Worker" »

On October 12, a mobile crane working on a church steeple toppled near Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, killing the crane operator and injuring a woman standing nearby.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the orange aerial lift, working at the First Presbyterian Church at 21st and Walnut Streets, fell at about 1:15 p.m. that day. It knocked down a streetlight, sheared off a stoplight, and clipped the roof of a building on the north side of the street.

The crane operator was turning the machine when one wheel rolled over a cable access cover, the heavy lid gave way, the machine wobbled then fell. He was taken to a hospital, and was pronounced dead at 1:42 p.m.

The church had hired Masonry Preservation Group, of Merchantville, N.J. to perform a survey of the church’s stone exterior.

MPG does extensive work in Philadelphia on the maintenance and restoration of historic stone and masonry structures. It brought several of the truck-mounted cranes and set them up around the church.

According to article, the operator turned the crane, one of the four enormous wheels at the base rolled over a cable access panel. It started to tilt and it swayed out about 20 feet into the street. Then it swayed back towards the church. The second time it swung out, it toppled over.
The type of equipment involved in the accident, known as an AWP or aerial lift platform, is not technically considered a crane, and is not subject to the strict regulations put in place by Philadelphia last year.

The family of the crane operator would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "Rittenhouse Square Crane Accident Kills Operator" »

The family of two workers sued International Paper (IP) after an explosion killed a contract worker and injured 22 others at its Redwood, Mississippi plant on May 3, 2008.
According to this Associated Press article on Philly.com, the blast killed a 28-year-old male employee. The two workers who filed the lawsuit and several other workers were severely burned when the 12-story boiler exploded during an attempt to restart it after annual maintenance.

In the lawsuit filed last year, the IP plant acknowledged that the boiler had been shut down for maintenance, there was an explosion, and the company knew workers would be present that day. The company argued that workers did not exercise reasonable care for their own safety.
One of the employees, who was burned over 60 percent of his body, said that workers should have been cleared from the area before the boiler was restarted.

OSHA fined International Paper $77,000 in the months following the explosion for one alleged willful violation and one alleged serious violation.

OSHA also found that some company officials did not share an internal memo about starting the boiler with workers in the facility’s control room, the report said.

A settlement conference is scheduled for Sept. 15 in U.S. District Court in Gulfport.
Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

Continue reading "IP Mill Explosion Settlement Proposals Due" »

A Walt Disney World employee died during a stunt show practice on August 17. This is the theme park’s third worker killed on the job this summer. According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the worker suffered a head injury late August 17 while rehearsing an acrobatic move in the “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular” and died shortly after. The move required the worker to jump into the air, dive over another performer and land in a tuck and roll onto a mat. The 30-year-old performer had only been with the show a week.

Earlier this month, 47-year-old died four days after being injured in a Magic Kingdom show. He was sword-fighting in “Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial” when he slipped and hit his head on a wall.

In July, a 21-year-old monorail driver was killed when his train and another monorail train collided.

An Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigator traveled to Disney World this week to begin an investigation that could take up to six months. The probe would be conducted separately from investigations into the two other deaths this summer.

According to the article, some union leaders at the theme park said they were concerned that the resort’s hiring of fewer workers this summer might affect safety. The work force this summer did not increase like it normally does during the busiest time of the year for Orlando’s theme parks. Because of longer park hours and longer lines, they need more staff to cover---this has not been the case this summer.

Continue reading "3rd Worker Killed This Summer at Disney World" »

Federal officials are investigating a death from a workplace accident in Pennsylvania of a 19-year-old man who was killed during a July 4 fireworks display at Quakertown's Memorial Park in New Castle. According to this news report, the man had been an employee of the fireworks company for only six weeks and was part of a three-person team that worked on the fireworks display.

He was in the process of setting up the fireworks exhibition when a single shell malfunctioned causing an on-ground explosion. The explosion reportedly destroyed the containment bunker and the wooden debris struck the worker killing him. He died of blunt force trauma. In addition to local police, agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are involved in the investigation of the circumstances of the young man’s death.

In cases where workers are injured on-the-job, the injured workers and/or their families will be entitled to receive worker's compensation benefits to cover medical expenses, lost earnings and other costs related to the injury or death. Worker's compensation in Philadelphia exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. It is a no-fault insurance system which means that the only thing that needs to be proved is that the injury was sustained while on the job.

Continue reading "Investigation into Worker Killed at July 4 Fireworks Display" »

A temp worker at a Camden chocolate processing plant, died on July 8 in a workplace accident after he fell into an eight-foot vat that was mixing and melting chocolate to be used in Hershey’s candy. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the worker was standing on a platform and tossing blocks of solid, raw chocolate into the tank.

The tank was heated at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and paddles inside stirred the chocolate as it was thrown in. When the man fell, one of his three coworkers on the platform immediately rushed to turn the machine off. The two others tried to pull him out.

He was struck by one of the paddles and suffered fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The decedent worked at a plant owned by Lyons & Sons, Inc., which is contracted by Cocoa Services, Inc. to process chocolate.

The mixing process was a daily task performed by the workers.

According to the article, the federal Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the incident.

The family of the deceased worker would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Accident at Hershey Chocolate Plant Kills Worker" »

A 19 year old employee of Zambelli Fireworks Internationale of New Castle, Pa., was hit and killed by pieces of a sand-filled wooden launching container that was shattered by a ground explosion. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, he died of neck trauma at a July Fourth celebration in Quakertown, PA. His death was ruled a workplace accident in Pennsylvania.

The launching device that exploded on the ground is the focus of federal, state, and local investigations into the July 4th death of this fireworks employee.

According to one State police Sgt., there was a malfunction either from the tube itself that shoots the projectile or the charge at the bottom of the tube that propels the device.

Bucks County officials said the teen suffered blunt-force trauma and was pronounced dead at St. Luke’s Hospital-Quakertown, PA.

State police, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and state and county fire officials are all investigating the tragic PA workplace accident.

The employee’s death was one of five on the Fourth of July for pyrotechnics workers. Four others were killed in a single blast while unloading fireworks on Ocracoke Island in North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Fireworks Employee Killed " »

Two monorail trains crashed early morning on July 5 in the Magic Kingdom section of Walt Disney World, killing one train’s operator. According to this article by the Associated Press that appeared on Philly.com, it was the first fatal crash in the monorail’s 38-year history in the park.

The transit system, which shuttles thousands of visitors around the Disney resort each day, was shut down while authorities investigated the wrongful death accident.

The monorail operator died at the scene of the crash. The other train operator was uninjured, but was taken to a hospital because he was emotionally shaken. Five park guests were treated at the scene.

It is unclear what caused this tragic crash and officials are still sifting through the evidence.
According to the article, the crash happened at the park’s ticket and transportation center.

The family of the deceased operator would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Operator Killed in Walt Disney World Monorail Collision" »

An ammonia leak on June 20 at a poultry processing plant in North Carolina killed one worker and injured four others.

According to this article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, the leak occurred about 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20 at the Mountaire Farms plant in Robeson County, NC (about 16 miles south of Fayetteville).

The worker who died was identified as Clifton Swain, 47, of Fayetteville. Four other workers were taken to hospitals with injuries.

The County Emergency Management Director told The Fayetteville Observer that the leak has been contained.

The ammonia leak happened while workers were doing maintenance work on a piece of machinery at the plant and it has been ruled simply as a workplace accident.

The plant employs 2,500 people. About 30 to 40 people were at the plant when the leak occurred.

The workers from the Mountaire Farms plant who sustained any injuries and the family of the worker who died because of the leak are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "Ammonia Leak at NC Plant Kills 1 Worker, Injures 4" »

On June 10 in Austin, Texas, scaffolding on the 11th floor of a building collapsed and two workers who were on it fell to their deaths. A third worker was critically injured. According to this article, four men were on the scaffolding last week when it collapsed. The fourth worker suffered minor injuries.

Authorities do not know what caused the scaffolding to collapse, resulting in the wrongful death of two workers.

The workers here who sustained any injuries and the families of the workers who died because of the collapse are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through the employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his/her job for a long time. It may be in the worker’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Continue reading "2 Workers Killed in 11th Floor Scaffolding Collapse" »

Ray Kot, a shift manager at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort, was fatally shot May 27 in a storage room just off the casino floor. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a suspect identified by state police as a 57-year-old man from Norristown, PA was arrested inside the casino’s parking garage. Police also recovered a handgun that may have been used in the wrongful death incident.

Kot was pronounced dead about 2 1/2 hours after the shooting.

The shooting apparently happened in a nonpublic area of the casino where gaming supplies are stored. This area is not visible from the casino floor.

Kot was shot in the abdomen and rushed to the trauma unit at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, which is handling the investigation, declined to provide further details about what happened or what may have prompted the shooting. No casino patrons or any other employees were injured and no one was evacuated from the casino.
According to the article, the gunman was not a casino employee, and there did not appear to have been a dispute between Kot and the gunman before the incident. State police said the suspect apparently knew Kot from past instances as a patron at the casino.

Kot was an employee at the casino since it opened in 1990.

The shooting was the second incident involving gunshots at the Taj Mahal this year. In January, a suspect in a New York embezzlement case pulled a gun and threatened to kill himself in an office there.

The family of Ray Kot is entitled to worker’s compensation benefits through his employer, Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover expenses of a deceased worker’s family. It may be in the family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Shift Manager Killed On-the-Job at A.C. Casino" »

Vatthana Vongtheva, a 28-year-old from Emporia, Kansas was killed in a construction accident at a power plant under construction north of Kansas City. According to this article by the Associated Press, Vongtheva was employed by Team Industrial Services of Alvin, Texas.

Kansas City Power & Light (KCP &L) officials said that on March 28 he was inside a boiler inspecting equipment on an elevated scaffold at the utility’s Iatan 2 power plant site, near Weston, MO. He became pinned against the boiler wall and was fatally injured.

Last May, at Iatan 1 (KCP& L’s operating power plant), a crane collapsed and killed a worker and injured three others.

Mr. Vongtheva’s family is entitled to Workers’ Compensation through his employer, Team Industrial Services. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker’s family. It may be in the family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the 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 the accident and any injuries, then they could be held liable.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim in Pennsylvania. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries, 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.

A former plant manager for a Warren County, NJ pipe company was sentenced to prison for a conspiracy to violate environmental rules and compromise worker safety.

According to an article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, John Prisque, of Bethlehem, Pa was sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Trenton to a 70-month term.

Four other employees of Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Co. also face sentencing.

Prisque was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation and violating clean air and water regulations.

Atlantic States was convicted of polluting the Delaware River in addition to lying to investigators about safety conditions at its Phillipsburg plant where one worker was killed and several others suffered serious injuries.

The Atlantic States workers who were killed or injured at work in Pennsylvania are entitled to Workers Compensation benefits through their employer. These benefits often are inadequate and may not be enough to cover a worker and his family, especially if the incident involves serious injuries that could keep the worker away from his or her job for a long time. It may be in the best interest of the workers and their families, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incidents to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Worker Safety Compromised by Manager at New Jersey Pipe Plant " »

An explosion in a plastic manufacturing plant in Orange County, CA has killed two people and injured a third person. According to the article by the Associated Press that appeared on Philly.com, the force of the blast on March 19 blew a concrete wall in the Solus Industrial Innovations building and shook a fire station across the street.

Firefighters rushed inside and found two bodies. Another worker was taken to a hospital for severe work injuries. There were three workers who were outside the building who declined treatment.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

The injured worker and the families of the workers who died are entitled to Worker’s Compensation through the manufacturing plant.

By law, it is required that every company in Pennsylvania 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 in Philadelphia 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.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim and the right to seek a skilled personal injury attorney in Pennsylvania. The injury can occur while traveling on business, doing a work-related errand, attending a required business-related social function, or even while on a break or using restroom facilities and you are still legally covered by workers compensation.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries, Cherry, Fieger & Marciano can help you. Our dedicated and experienced PA work injury lawyers will do everything possible to get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay for medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work and more.