Pennsylvania Personal Injury Blog

A worker at Asher’s Chocolates lost his finger in an accident, reports The Philadelphia Daily News. That same day, two workers at JBS Packerland, a nearby meat-processing plant, were also injured.

The 41-year-old man injured at Asher’s was cleaning a machine when he accidentally stepped on a power switch on the floor and activated the device. When the device started spinning, it sucked his finger in and tore part of it off.

That same day, a JBS Packerland employee was working on a piece of machinery when he slipped and cut his index finger off on a large blade used to cut beef.

A woman who also worked at JBS Packerland was hit by a piece of machinery. She then slipped and fell, causing her to break her ankle.

All three workers were treated for their injuries.

Some professions, such as those within the industrial field, are usually considered high-risk jobs. Implementing safety practices and measures is one of the most effective ways to prevent industrial accidents. Those include: eliminating unsafe practices and teaching workers about safety measures; observing workers to see if they are following the mandatory safety practices; provide training on a regular basis; supervising workers to determine if the safety practices need further improvements; and prohibiting workers to smoke, eat, drink, rest, enter, use mobile phones, or listen to portable music devices in certain areas.

The workers who were injured in the factory accidents would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia workers compensation attorney who can carefully examine the incidents to identify any negligence or wrongdoing. Sometimes malfunctioning equipment or a defective piece of machinery causes these types of accidents. An experienced attorney would look into a “third party claim.” These are claims that are filed against parties that are not the worker’s employer. 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. Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work and more.

A construction worker in western Pennsylvania was killed on August 4 by a wall that fell on him. According to this article by The Associated Press, the 23-year-old was working on the North Fork Creek Water Treatment Plant near Pittsburgh.

A steel-forming wall fell on him, who was working for Jack Gibson Construction. They are doing work at the plant run by the Brookville Municipal Authority.

Construction workers face the risk of serious personal injury every time they step on the job site. Workers in construction incurred the most fatalities of any industry in the private sector in 2008 with 969 cases, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The construction worker’s family may want to get in touch with an experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorney who can carefully examine the construction fall to identify any negligence or wrongdoing. A skilled lawyer with experience handling workers’ compensation cases would also look into a “third party claim.”

Continue reading "Western Pennsylvania Water Treatment Plant Accident Kills Man" »

A garbage company worker was injured in Kenner, LA May 11 when a portion of a street collapsed, trapping the worker in soft mud in the bottom of the hole.

According to a news report, the garbage truck was on its regular morning pickup route when a section of the 200 block of 27th Street caved in. The incident occurred just north of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

The truck fell back into the hole, trapping the unidentified worker between the truck and the mud. The worker was someone who empties garbage cans into a bin at the back of the truck.

A wrecker arrived and lifted the garbage truck, and five Kenner firefighters went into the cavity under the street and used hand shovels to dig out the trapped man.

The man was pulled out several minutes later and taken by ambulance to a hospital.

City officials are trying to determine what caused that portion of the residential street to collapse.

If the victim suffered any injuries, he would be well advised to contact an experienced workers’ 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. 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. These dedicated Philadelphia work accident 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 recent case in Pennsylvania saw attorney's fees awarded to an employee who had filed a workers’ compensation claim. According to RiskAndInsurance.com, the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Appeal Board approved the worker's attorney's fees agreement and mandated that he be reimbursed of his costs. State law in Pennsylvania says that when a laborer wins a worker's compensation case, the claimant will receive payment for lawyer's fees, if he has a prior agreement with his attorney, and fees do not exceed 20% of the total amount awarded.

In this particular case, a construction worker had fallen from a roof, fracturing his heel. Initially, the claim for attorney's fee reimbursement was denied. He then filed a petition indicating that his initial claim had been inadequately described. Upon doing so, the employer augmented the injury description and issued an addendum that reinstated the worker's temporary total disability benefits. Additionally, the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Appeal Board determined that in light of the additional agreement from the employer, the worker was entitled to recover attorney’s fees.

Filing a workers’ compensation claim in Pennsylvania can be a complicated process. Certain rights and reimbursements may be blocked, if a case is filed incorrectly. If you have been injured at work, you may be entitled to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages and other costs incurred, including attorney’s fees. The experienced Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at Cherry, Fieger and Marciano, LLP can help you file your claim correctly and ensure that your constitutional rights are protected. Call today at 888-684-7192 for a free consultation.

On May 17, sixteen workers returning from their temporary jobs at J&J Snack Foods Inc. in Bellmawr, NJ, were hospitalized after a private bus crashed on an I-95 exit ramp. The riders were to be dropped off in Kensington, PA.

According to this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, the driver did not have the proper license to operate a vehicle that uses air brakes.

One of the injured workers is still in critical condition with head injuries.

The bus is owned by Del Val Staffing L.L.C., one of several staffing companies that provides temporary help to J&J, the Pennsauken-based manufacturer of pretzels, funnel-cake mix, churros, cookies, Icees, and Daddy Ray’s fruit bars.

The article said that it appears that a brake malfunction caused the auto collision in Pennsylvania. The bus had air brakes, which operate with a compressor that builds up air. The compressor malfunctioned and the driver apparently drove from New Jersey to Kensington with no air built up for braking.

The victims would be well advised to contact an experienced workers’ 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. Although the workers are the employees of the temporary agency, the client may have some liability as a co-employer.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential Philly 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.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. These dedicated Pennsylvania workers’ comp 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.

On March 31, a worker at a Jersey City recycling yard got his hand caught in a conveyor and apparently suffered broken bones.

According to this article on nj.com, the accident happened at Galaxy Recycling on New York Avenue near the Hoboken border and found the 41-year-old Lafayette Street man on the ground and holding his left arm.

The plant manager said the worker was trying to clear a conveyor when his hand got caught.

The article reported that the man likely suffered one or more broken bones.

Police notified the Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the incident.

The worker here would be well advised to contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney. Any worker who has sustained an injury in Pennsylvania arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential PA 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. Some types of workers’ compensation injures include construction injuries, repetitive stress to a body part, and environmental hazards.

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.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries and property damage, the skilled Pennsylvania workplace accident lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano can help you to get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay for medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work, and more.

A northeastern Pennsylvania utility worker was burned on March 28 in an underground fire that occurred while he tried restore service during a power outage. According to this article, the unidentified man was hospitalized in stable condition after sustaining burns in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The article said the worker was able to climb out to the surface on his own. Another worker was taken to a hospital and released with no injuries.

The caused the explosion and fire is still under investigation.

The injured worker here would be well advised to seek the advice of an experienced Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorney. 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. Some types of workers’ compensation injures include construction injuries, repetitive stress to a body part, and environmental hazards.

Continue reading "Philly Workers' Comp Attorney: PA Electrical Worker Hospitalized after Blast" »

A 47-year-old worker from Winsted, CT was injured on March 17 when a section of a pipe trench collapsed on him. According to this article on CTPost.com, the worker suffered leg and back injuries and was transported to the Bridgeport Hospital trauma unit.

The soil shifted and part of the protective trench box buckled and gave way, burying the worker’s legs and pinning him against an excavator arm.

The man is an employee of K&W Construction Co. of Southbury, CT a subcontractor on a $37 million project. He was leveling the bottom of a 10-foot-deep trench so that concrete pipe could be installed in it.

The worker received advanced life support from paramedics and then was lifted out of the trench in a basket and brought to the hospital.

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. Some types of workers’ compensation injures include construction injuries, repetitive stress to a body part, and environmental hazards.

Continue reading "Worker Injured in Trench Collapse" »

On March 2, a construction worker doing welding work in Cateret, NJ was injured when an explosion caused the doors of his pickup truck to fly off and smash into him.

According to this article on nj.com, the man was welding at a construction site at a Verizon Wireless data center when the explosion erupted. He was the only one injured in the blast.

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. Some types of workers’ compensation injures include construction injuries, repetitive stress to a body part, and environmental hazards.

Continue reading "NJ Construction Worker is Injured in Explosion" »

A 52-year-old contractor from King of Prussia, PA died on March 16, 2010 when he fell through a skylight at a warehouse in the East Frankford section of Philadelphia. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the man fell 30 feet through the skylight of a warehouse building on the 4500 block of Worth Street. He died about an hour later at a nearby hospital.

The contractor’s family 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.” A "third party claim" in PA is 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 "Contractor Dies After Fall Through Skylight" »

On March 17, a Comcast worker was injured when he came in contact with power lines on Holland Road in Northampton, PA. According to an article from www.phillyburbs.com, the worker was repairing some cable lines when he accidentally came in contact with the power line.

The employee was using a ladder that was about 15 feet in the air, but it is unknown if he fell or not. He was found on the ground going in and out of consciousness.

The Comcast worker would be well advised to contact an experienced Philly workers’ comp 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 "Comcast Worker Injured in Electrical Accident" »

On March 15, 2010, carbon monoxide from a propane-powered tile cutter being used in a grocery store renovation in Pennsylvania sickened at least six people.

According to this article on Philly.com, about 35 people were evacuated from the Giant supermarket in Easton, PA after construction workers complained of nausea and headaches.

The carbon monoxide levels were life-threatening in the construction area, which had been separated from the rest of the store by a tarp. The rest of the store had low levels of the odorless and colorless gas.

Giant resumed normal operation after being inspected by state and local officials.

The injured workers would be well advised to contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney in Pennsylvania 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 "Carbon Monoxide Sickens 6 at Eastern Pennsylvania Grocery" »

A temporary worker from Rochester, N.H was injured on February 11, 2010 in an industrial accident at Stonewall Kitchen, in Maine. According to this article on www.seacoastline.com, the man received severe burns and lacerations to his left forearm and wrist when his arm was caught in the blade of a 150-gallon mixer.

The incident has been investigated and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been notified.

The article said that the man was on temporary assignment through Manpower Inc. of Dover, N.H.

A human resources director for Stonewall Kitchen said all workers go through training processes before working in the production environment.

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. Some types of workers’ compensation injures include construction injuries, repetitive stress to a body part, and environmental hazards.

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.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries and property damage, the skilled Philadelphia workers' compensation lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano can help you to get the monetary compensation that is owed to you to help pay for medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work, and more.

Two men died at a refinery explosion and fire last week at Navajo Refinery in New Mexico. According to this Associated Press article on Philly.com, authorities located the body of the first worker immediately after the March 2, 2010 fire. A second man was missing and presumed dead. A parent company of the refinery confirmed his death.

Two other workers were injured in the blaze, which was confined to a new asphalt storage tank under construction away from the refinery’s main operations.

All four workers were employed by a refinery contractor, Northwest Insulation.

The families of the workers who died, as well as the injured workers, 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 Philly workers comp 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 Deaths at New Mexico Refinery Confirmed" »

Two bridge-builders working on the Pennsylvania Turnpike were injured when a ten-foot circle of steel tipped over and them along with parked cars. The two men were immediately taken to local hospitals with what was thought to be non life-threatening injuries, according to the Parryville Fire Chief. They are employees of Walsh Construction and were working on laying the steel framework for a column support for a bridge replacement project in its early stages. The fire chief, one of the first to respond to the accident, reported that he was not sure what the cause of the accident was, but that an investigation would be carried out.

Construction sites are very dangerous work places and the state and federal government have imposed safety policies and regulations to ensure worker safety. Construction accidents in Pennsylvania continue to be common, despite the many state and federal regulations, as well as industry standards, requiring owners, general contractors and sub-contractors to implement a wide variety of safety measures to ensure worker safety. Negligent general contractors, sub-contractors, vendors, and employees can cause many of these dangers, which often result in substantial injuries to construction workers at the job site. In fact, construction accidents often cause life-threatening conditions, require amputation or extensive reconstructive surgery, and tragically leave innocent victims with brain injuries, disfigurement, and other conditions that impact their ability to hold down a job or even pay for their own care.

Continue reading "Builders Injured While Working on PA Turnpike Bridge" »

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" »

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 man fell 25 feet and landed on concrete at a Waste Treatment plant in Oregon. According to an article, the man fell from what fire crews estimated to be at least 25 feet from a ladder into a concrete wall that was built on site.

The article reported that the worker was conscious when crews arrived, but suffered serious injuries.

The construction workers used a crane to lift their coworker out of the vault and were able to transfer him to an ambulance.

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. 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 "Crane Used to Rescue Injured Worker" »

Two Pennsylvania Turnpike bridge builders were injured on October 29 when a steel structure they were preparing collapsed near the Lehigh River at Parryville. According to an article in The Morning Call, several circles of steel, each with a diameter of about 10 feet, tipped over, hitting the men. The two men were pulled from the steel and taken to an area hospital. Fortunately, they did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

The men were employees of Walsh Construction Co. and were putting together the steel framework for a column to support a Northeast Extension replacement bridge between the Lehigh Tunnel and the Mahoning Valley interchange.

The article said that the cause of the accident was unknown.

Continue reading "Turnpike Bridge-Building Accident Injures 2 Workers" »

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 November 5, a SEPTA track inspector was struck and killed by an R3 West Trenton train in East Oak Lane. According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a 34-year-old from Sharon Hill was struck by a southbound train near the Philadelphia-Montgomery County line just south of the Melrose Park station. He died at the scene.

The man was part of a team inspecting tracks that normally carry northbound trains. It was unclear yesterday how fast the train had been traveling.

According to the article, inspecting tracks is a set procedure. SEPTA officials said trains often switch tracks because of equipment issues.

The family of this deceased man 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 "Track Inspector Hit and Killed by Regional Train" »

An October 9th explosion and fire at an asphalt plant in eastern Pennsylvania injured three workers, two of them critically.

According to an Associated Press article, an electrical panel burst into flames in the control room of the H&K Group’s South Reading Blacktop plant at 11 a.m. on October 9. A male electrical contractor was eating lunch in front of the screen. Two workers, a 57-year-old man and a 49-year-old man were injured after they and others rushed to help the worker who was eating in front of the screen.

The man eating lunch and the 57-year-old were in critical condition October 10 at a nearby hospital. The 49-year-old was treated for smoke inhalation.

The company called the blast a flash electrical fire and says it was the first such accident at the facility. State police and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration have also been investigating.

The families of these injured workers would be well advised to contact an experienced Philadelphia workers' 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 "Pennsylvania Flash Electrical Fire at Asphalt Plant Injures 3" »

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" »

A construction worker from Eatontown, Monmouth County, NJ was injured after falling 20 feet while making repairs to a home in Barnegat. According to this article in the Press of Atlantic City, the construction worker was working in an attic at 12 Carriage Way and fell through a ceiling.

He landed on a stairway, breaking his left arm and inuring his elbow.

Police, fire, and paramedic crews responded right away to help him and he was airlifted to Jersey Shore Medical Center.

The construction 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 "Construction Worker Injured After Fall at Barnegat, NJ Home" »

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" »

On September 6, two firefighters were hurt after a ladder they were climbing collapsed in western Pennsylvania. According to an article, the accident happened Sunday morning at a fire scene in Monongahela, just outside Pittsburgh.

The men were on a 100-foot ladder when it collapsed and they fell. Fortunately, the injuries are not life-threatening. The article said that the fire started at a downtown pizza shop and then spread to two adjacent buildings.

The injured workers are entitled to Worker’s Compensation. 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 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.

Continue reading "PA Ladder Collapse Injures 2 Firefighters" »

Two men were injured while working with electrical cables in downtown Washington.
According to an article, D.C. fire crews had received a report of an explosion at the site of several high-voltage feeds.

A utility company (Pepco) spokesman said the contractors were pulling an old underground cable when it touched a live cable, triggering an electrical shock on August 24. One man suffered facial burns and the other suffered smoke inhalation.

The injured utility company workers 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 "Electrical Accident Injures 2 Workers in Downtown DC" »

On August 27, a worker for a lawn irrigation company was trapped for nearly five hours before being rescued from a muddy hole in Burlington County, NJ. According to an Associated Press article on Philly.com, a 24-year-old of Berlin, NJ was pulled out of the 6-foot deep hole by members of Task Force 1, the state police urban search and rescue unit.

The worker was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Fortunately, his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

The worker became trapped shortly before 1 p.m. on August 27 while trying to repair a leaking water line in a Southampton Township retirement community. Soil and mud around him collapsed, covering him up to this thighs.

The worker in this incident 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 "Construction Worker Trapped in Muddy Hole Rescued" »

On August 13, two construction workers working on a residence hall at Montclair State University in New Jersey were injured when the hydraulic lift they were working from tipped over.
According to an article, a University spokeswoman said the workers suffered “broken limbs” in the accident and were taken to a nearby hospital.

The building under construction is an unnamed six-story residence hall. It was not immediately clear how high the workers were when the accident happened and the cause is under investigation.

The injured workers at Montclair State University 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 "2 Construction Workers Injured at NJ University" »

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" »

A blast at an explosives manufacturing plant in Ohio injured 10 workers on July 28. According to an article, the blast was caused by a broken detonating cord. The explosion, which occurred at the Austin Powder Co.’s Red Diamond plant, blew off part of the roof and a wall. This plant employs about 200 people and makes explosives for the mining and construction industries.

The article said that a partially filled spool of cord exploded when a detonating cord broke during the manufacturing process.

The injured workers at the Ohio plant 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 "Broken Cord Caused Blast Injuring Workers at Ohio Plant" »

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 Pennsylvania worker suffered severe injuries to his legs after being run over by a forklift, according to a recent news report. The 48-year-old man was taken to the hospital for treatment after the Pennsylvania workplace accident, which happened in Hatfield Township. Officials are still looking into how and why this forklift accident occurred.

According to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, forklift accidents happen because of many reasons including lack of proper training for workers who have to operate forklift trucks. Forklift accidents could also occur because or improper assignment of forklifts and operators; poor maintenance of forklifts; and the age of the forklifts, which could cause them to fail. Forklift accident can result in catastrophic injuries or even death.

If you have been injured in an industrial accident or construction site accident, you need skilled representation from experienced Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys who will inform you about your legal rights and options. If you are an injured worker, you will be entitled to receive worker's compensation benefits from your employer. If a third party (someone other than your employer) caused your on-the-job injuries, then you may be able to file a third party claim against that individual or entity.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Forklift Accident Injures Worker" »

A report said multiple failings led to a Green Beret's death in Iraq. According to this article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the Defense Department’s inspector general determined that military leaders and a major military contractor failed to protect a Green Beret who was electrocuted while showering in his barracks in Iraq.

The Staff Sgt.’s wrongful death triggered an investigation, as well as a review of 17 other electrocutions in Iraq. He was a 24-year-old from Pittsburgh, PA. It also led to the ongoing electrical inspections of about 90,000 U.S.-maintained facilities in Iraq.

The inspector general’s found that “multiple systems and organizations” failed and exposed the Sgt. to “unacceptable risk.”

The man was electrocuted while showering when he came in contact with an energized metal shower and hose caused by the failure of an ungrounded water pump located on the roof of the building. The Houston-based military contractor KBR, Inc. installed the pump and adjacent water tanks.

KBR did not ground equipment during installation or report improperly grounded equipment during routine maintenance and KBR did not have standard operating procedures for the technical inspection of facilities.

According to the article, military commanders and key decision-makers failed to ensure that renovations were properly performed and did not address the maintenance situation. The Sgt.’s family has filed a lawsuit against KBR.

Continue reading "Electrocution Death of Pittsburg Sgt, Military and Contractor Faulted" »

On July 16, a driver in University City, PA struck three construction workers — including flipping one onto his hood and smashing his windshield — then drove around the block to argue with them. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the man was driving a Chevrolet Malibu east on Chestnut Street approaching 30th Street in Philadelphia when he got stuck in traffic.

The traffic was caused by a construction crew directing trucks loaded with supplies onto a site next to the intersection. First, the angry driver confronted a 33-year-old flagman who was stopping traffic and screamed at him to get out of the way. He then sped into the construction crew and caused a rare case of a pedestrian and work accident in Philadelphia.

The flagman was flipped over the hood of the offender’s vehicle and hit the windshield head first, breaking it. The driver then ran down two other construction workers and drove around again to confront the construction workers one more time. He was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated assault.

Continue reading "PA Construction Workers Injured by Angry Driver" »

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 transformer explosion caused an underground fire and power outage in a section of Newark, NJ and injured two workers. According to this article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, on June 30 around 11:30 a.m., Public Service Electric & Gas was working on the transformer when it caught fire and exploded.

Workers in the IDT building evacuated the building after they heard a loud boom. Two workers suffered workplace injuries and their conditions are not yet known.

Black plumes of smoke that rose from the ground disappeared as firefighters extinguished debris that ignited. PSE&G has not yet determined the extent of damage and many buildings in downtown Newark were without electricity.

In Pennsylvania, every company must carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance in 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.

Continue reading "Transformer Blast Injures Workers" »

Police in Port Carbon, Pennsylvania are saying that a construction worker is lucky to be alive after an 88,000-pound backhoe he was operating crashed through part of a Pennsylvania bridge about 70 miles northwest of Philadelphia. According to an Associated Press news report, the backhoe's cab was crushed against the bridge. The worker wasn't seriously injured in this construction accident in Pennsylvania, but a heavyset man would have been killed, officials said. It is not yet clear how or why the crash occurred.

Construction sites are extremely prone to risk of injury or death because of the nature of the job and the heavy equipment involved. Workers often do jobs in high-rise buildings, which make them prone to falls. Construction accidents can result in catastrophic injuries such as brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and even death. Contractors and sub contractors are required under federal and state law to follow various procedures that will make a construction site safer for workers. All workers are also required to get the necessary training to do their jobs safely.

Continue reading "Worker Escapes Serious Injury in Pennsylvania Construction Accident" »

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" »

Scott Skirpan, a 50-year-old ex-Marine from Easton, lost both his legs three years ago in a gruesome industrial workplace injury accident in Pennsylvania at a Northampton County landfill. According to this article in The Philadelphia Daily News, the firm that owns the landfill, and Caterpillar Inc. (which made the bulldozer that crushed his legs), agreed to pay Skirpan $16.25 million to settle his negligence lawsuit in mid-trial.

It is one of the largest settlements in Pennsylvania history for a single-victim personal-injury case.

On May 1, 2006, five days into his job as a truck spotter at the Chrin Sanitary Landfill, a massive track loader backed around a pile of garbage and ran him over.

Skirpan’s attorney argued that Chrin Brothers, which owns the landfill, had failed to train their client, and that the Caterpillar didn’t have adequate rear vision. Skirpan was airlifted to St. Luke’s Hospital Trauma Center, arriving in cardiac arrest. He had eleven operations. Ultimately, surgeons had to remove his right leg and part of his right hip, and most of his left leg.

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 in Philadelphia.

Continue reading "Worker Wins $16M Settlement" »

One of the changes in the workers’ compensation act, which the insurance carriers initiated in 1997, was the Independent Rating Evaluation or IRE. This change provides that if an insurance carrier requests an IRE with a Bureau appointed physician within 60 days after 104 weeks of the date that the injured worker begins receiving total disability payments and if the impartial physician rates the workers’ disability at less than a 50% impairment of the whole person using the AMA Guidelines, then that injured workers’ claim for benefits will be capped at 500 weeks. This change is quite useful for the insurance carrier because a claim whose exposure is capped at 500 weeks is cheaper to settle than a potential lifetime claim. It is also very difficult to under the AMA Guidelines obtain an impairment rating which is greater than a 50% impairment of the whole person.

But what happens if the insurance carrier fails to file for its IRE within 60 days of the 104 week date that the injured worker begins receiving total disability benefits? In Gardner v. W.C.A.B. (Genesis Health Ventures), 585 Pa. 366, 888 A.2d 757 (2005) the State Supreme Court held that where the insurance carrier misses its filing deadline, there would be no automatic conversion of the injured workers’ potential lifetime claim to a claim for 500 weeks. The Supreme Court held that the insurance carrier must instead file a Petition and litigate its case before the Workers’ Compensation Judge.

Continue reading "The Burden of Proof in an IRE Petition" »

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" »

Craig Kelley, a Philadelphia Housing Authority police officer testified in the trial of Zahir Boddy-Johnson on June 5. On February 17, 2008, he was on duty inside a bulletproof-glass enclosed security booth at a Germantown apartment complex when he suffered a workplace injury in PA after Boddy-Johnson shot him with a rifle.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the officer was on duty alone when he heard a knock at the door of a security booth at the entrance of the Queen Lane Apartments. When he opened the door he was “staring down the muzzle” of a semiautomatic rifle about six feet away. The gunman struck Kelley in the left side of his abdomen, which spun him around and then knocked him down.

Boddy-Johnson, 18, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm on a public street. He could face from 35 to 50 years in prison if convicted of all charges.

Kelley, who has been a PHA officer for 17 years, testified that the bullet remains in his abdomen and that because of his injuries, he has only been able to return to desk work.

Mr Kelley is entitled to Worker’s Compensation in Philadelphia for the injury that he suffered. 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.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries and property damage, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. Our dedicated and experienced Philadelphia 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.

On June 9, 2009, two people were unaccounted for after an explosion at a Slim Jim meat products plant in North Carolina. According to this Associated Press article on Philly.com, an Emergency Medical Services official said a third person initially declared missing was found and went to the hospital along with 20 other people. Authorities were still searching for two others but it wasn’t clear whether they were inside the building.

Five people who were injured had serious conditions. The article said several workers reported hearing an explosion before the collapse and the workplace injuries ranged from burns to smoke inhalation. Emergency crews were keeping people away because of an ammonia leak.

The Slim Jim plant workers here who sustained any injuries 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/her 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.

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.

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 Michigan truck driver faces reckless driving charges after his big rig hit a traffic cone and then struck a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation worker on April 30, 2009, according to a report. Truck driver Donald Minehart apparently did not realize that he hit the cone, which then struck a PennDOT supervisor who suffered injuries as a result. Minehart continued to driver and was stopped by troopers. The auto accident occurred in a work zone on Interstate 81 near exit 141.

This is not the first time a PennDOT worker has been injured by a careless driver. In May 2001, Richard Bradley, a PennDOT worker from West Hazleton, died when a teen driver struck him and three others on East Butler Drive in Butler Township. In this particular case, the worker was fortunate to get away without major injuries. However, this workplace injury serves as an important reminder for motorists to drive with caution along freeway construction zones.

Workers who get injured on the job are eligible for workers compensation from their employer. But very often, Pennsylvania workers compensation benefits are not sufficient to pay for medical expenses, loss of earnings or other related costs, especially when it comes to serious injuries. If you have been injured in a Pennsylvania workplace accident, please contact our experienced Philadelphia workers compensation lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano for a free consultation. Our skilled Pennsylvania personal injury attorneys will fight for your rights and make sure you get fair compensation for your injuries, damages and loss.

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" »

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.

Government investigators began sorting through the Dallas Cowboys’ flattened practice facility to determine why fierce winds sent the tent-like structure crashing down during a rookie workout session.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Daily News, twelve people were hurt, including Cowboys special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, who had surgery to stabilize a fractured vertebrae in his neck. Rich Behm, 33, the team’s scouting assistant, was permanently paralyzed from the waist down after his spine was severed. Assistant athletic trainer Greg Gaither, 35, had surgery on his fractured right leg.
Inspectors were looking at the collapse site, according to a spokeswoman for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The company that built the facility— Summit Structures LLC of Allentown, PA— issued a statement that said proper engineering was used during the original construction 5 years ago and the installation of the new roof. The president of Summit has been working with team and local officials to “fully assess this severe weather event.”

The employees who were injured here have 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 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 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 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.

If you or someone you love has been injured at work, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. These dedicated PA workplace accident 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. Call 888-845-2706 today for a case evaluation.

A roofer was severely injured from tar burns he got while working on a suburban Philadelphia high school.

According to this article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, the worker was airlifted to a hospital after the May 8 work injury in Fort Washington, PA. He had tar burns over most of his body.

It was not yet clear what caused the workplace injury in Philadelphia.

The roofer here has a potential workers’ compensation claim. It may be in his best interest to also contact an experienced Philadelphia 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.

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.

Eight firefighters and a gas company worker were hurt May 7 in a gas explosion next to a pregnancy clinic in Maryland.

According to this article on Philly.com, a natural gas leak occurred on May 7 at a shopping center in Prince George’s County, MD. The gas company employee who was hurt was working on a gas line at the time of the blast.

Two firefighters were admitted to the burn unit at the Washington Hospital Center.

The article said a board member of the Forestville Pregnancy Center called 911 to report the leak and then the store exploded.

The gas leak might have been caused by recent renovations in the empty storefront.

The worker who was injured here has a potential workers’ compensation claim. It may also be in a worker’s best interest 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 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 in Pennsylvania 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.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. These dedicated and skilled Philadelphia 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.

An audit of a nuclear weapons complex in South Carolina says the construction site did not meet several safety standards when constructing a new facility and could have resulted in a serious construction accident. According to an article, the Department of Energy released a report in April that a mistake was found at the Savannah River site near the South Carolina-Georgia border that could have resulted in a spill of high-level radioactive waste.

The safety issues involved a facility that is being built to convert weapons-grade plutonium into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors.

The report stated that three structural components were obtained and installed by the prime contractor at Savannah River during construction of the mixed oxide fuel fabrication (MOX) facility that did not meet safety specifications.

The faulty steel was discovered after a piece of it broke during construction.

According to the article, these substandard items led to costly and time-consuming remedial action to ensure that nonconforming materials and equipment would function within safety margins.

The Department of Energy’s report said that weaknesses in internal control could have led to installing critical components that didn’t meet standards and could have injured workers and the public.

If any worker at this South Carolina site had been injured here, he or she would have a potential workers’ compensation claim. It is usually in a worker’s best interest to 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 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.

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.

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 Pennsylvania state trooper is recovering from an injury he got from a chemical dripping from a leaky truck. According to an article, it happened April 28 at a rest area near the Tafton exit of Interstate 84 in northeastern Pennsylvania.

The injured trooper was airlifted to a hospital. Two other troopers, as well as three highway inspectors, were also taken to a hospital as a precaution.

Hazardous materials workers were called in to clean up the chemical. It was not yet known what type of chemical injured the trooper.

Like any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment, this Trooper has a potential Pennsylvania workers’ compensation claim. An 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.

It is required that every company in Pennsylvania carry Worker’s Compensation Insurance in 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 in Philadelphia 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.

It may be in the worker’s and their family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney who will carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing. An experienced Philadelphia work injury 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.

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.

An explosion at a Los Angeles-area oil refinery caused hundreds of thousands in damage and left one worker with minor work injuries. According to this article by the Associated Press, no evacuations were required at the plant or the surrounding neighborhood.

The blast occurred on April 22 as workers were re-lighting a pair of 100-foot-high furnaces at Paramount Petroleum in Paramount, CA (about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles).

According to the article, a build up of gas caused the explosion.

One worker was injured and taken to a hospital.

Although there were no leaking fumes that would require evacuations, damages to the furnaces and surrounding structure totaled an estimated $800,000

If the plant worker here sustained any injuries, he would be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through his employer, Paramount Petroleum. 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.

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.

Whether your injury was a simple slip and fall, or involves serious injuries, Cherry, Fieger, & Marciano can help you. These dedicated and skilled Pennsylvania 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.

Investigators are looking into the cause of a construction accident at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado that injured a construction worker in early April. According to an article in USA Today, the accident occurred at a new St. Anthony Hospital that is under construction at the center.

A U.S. Geological Survey employee told The Denver Post he was eating lunch and watching the construction when the crane collapsed and twisted while lifting a beam.

The article said that the injured worker drove himself to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries.

The construction worker here is entitled to Workers’ Compensation through his 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.” Suing a third party involves 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 "Crane Accident in Denver, CO Injures Worker" »

A worker was injured after an explosion at a plant in Maryland earlier this month. According to an article in USA Today, the explosion happened on April 6 at the Tobacco Tech in Skykesville, MD.

Maryland Police said that the lid of a tank used to make tobacco flavoring blew off and fluid and vapors were expelled. A worker who fled the scene fell and hit his face on the concrete floor. He was pulled to safety by the plant manager and another worker and then flown to Shock Trauma.

The tobacco plant worker is entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through his employer, Tobacco Tech. 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 "Worker Injured at Tobacco Plant" »

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 " »

A Scott County, Iowa jury awarded more than $7 million to a Wisconsin man who fell three stories in a construction accident.

According to an article that appeared in USA Today, Allen Frohne was a sub-contractor who had been doing gutter work at a Holiday Inn Express in Leclaire, Iowa in 2005. The hotel was under construction at the time. Frohne fell when a lift tipped over and he suffered permanent injuries.

The award was made against Leclaire Hotel Group, LLC and Gibbs Construction.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential PA 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.

Workers compensation 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 and their family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced worker’s compensation attorney in Philadelphia who will carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Injured Worker Awarded $7 Million by Jury" »

An explosion at a chemical plant near St. Louis, MO left a worker badly burned and the plant damaged.

According to this article by the Associated Press on Philly.com, the explosion happened on April 12 at the SantoLubes LLC plant. It occurred in a building that housed different chemicals to produce insecticides after workers began a mixing process.

The injured worker was hospitalized and has burns over 30% of his body.

Like any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment, this chemical plant worker has a potential workers’ compensation claim. A workplace accident in Philadelphia and throughout the nation 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.

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 exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania 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.

Continue reading "Worker Injured by Blast at Chemical Plant" »

Bristol Township police officers Michael Egan and Mark Buzby suffered debilitating leg injuries on Aug. 27, 2005. They were severely injured by a drunken and uninsured driver and then cheated out of insurance benefits by their own township manager and three insurance company employees. Egan and Buzby were entitled to Workers’ compensation benefits. However, in many Pennsylvania workers compensation cases, workers and their families do not receive adequate compensation for any lost income. In such cases, a skilled Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer will be able to look into whether there are any “third-party claims.”

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the officers had been investigating an accident on Route 13 in PA when the drunken and uninsured driver struck them. Egan had to have one of his legs amputated and Buzby underwent at least 18 operations. Now, both officers can perform only light administrative work.

The officers sought uninsured motorist liability benefits from the township, but were denied.

They were told the township had turned down such coverage before the accident, and were shown rejection documents to prove it.

Suing a third party in Philadelphia could include a party or entity other than an employer, such the bar who served the driver who hit the officers. If that bar knowingly served him alcohol while he was intoxicated, they could be held liable for the injuries he caused after he got into his car.

According to the article, the documents had been fabricated and backdated to deny the officers benefits. A Bucks County grand jury found a former Township Manager and three USI-Mid-Atlantic employees (Bristol’s insurance broker) guilty of forgery, tampering with public records, and other crimes.

Continue reading "Bristol Township Police Officers Injured On-the-Job, Cheated Out of Benefits" »

For the second time in less than a year, a carbon monoxide leak at the Superfresh in Havertown, PA on March 30 caused the evacuation of 26 employees. According to this article in the Delaware County Times, three of the employees were hospitalized as a result of their workplace injury in Pennsylvania.

In August 2008, 32 people were hospitalized after an elderly woman collapsed. Authorities found carbon monoxide poisoning coming from a malfunctioning bakery oven.

The supermarket was evacuated in the early a.m. of the 30th and sealed off for a couple hours as paramedics ascertained the condition of employees. Three store employees have elevated counts of carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the article, the cause of the leak was a malfunctioning exhaust fan in the bakery area of the store.

Many of the nearby stores in the shopping center were also closed and employees were prevented from entering.

Any worker who has sustained an injury arising out of and in the course of their employment has a potential workers’ compensation claim. A Philadelphia personal injury or work related accident 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 "Pennsylvania Superfresh Employees Hospitalized after Carbon Monoxide Leak" »

An Irish Pub bar employee in Atlantic City was fatally stabbed and a colleague suffered serious work injury when they tried to break up a fight at the establishment.

According to the article on Philly.com, authorities do not know what started the brawl at the pub, which broke out at about 4:30 a.m. on Saturday March 21. Investigators remained at the scene for several hours collecting evidence, and the bar remained closed as of early Saturday afternoon.

The Atlantic County Prosecutors Office did not identify either employee, but they did say the injured worker had been hospitalized.

The injured worker, as well as the worker who died at the Irish Pub, are entitled to worker’s compensation. The family of the decedent may even seek a skilled wrongful death attorney. 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 exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers' compensation in Philadelphia 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.

Continue reading "Worker Killed, Another Hurt in NJ Bar Brawl" »

Three people were hospitalized on March 15 after a natural gas explosion destroyed a truck and sent a flaming tank hurtling into the air near a busy street in Pasadena, CA. According to the article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, one person was critically injured by the blast and two others were seriously hurt. The truck belonged to Dy-Dee Diaper Service, part of California Linen, and all three victims were company employees.

The article stated that the explosion occurred when a worker at the California Linen Services textile rental business was transferring natural gas. A tank was blasted 1,000 feet into the air and then landed 200 feet away across the street.

The injured workers will be entitled to workers compensation benefits from their employer. It may be in their best interest, however, to also contact an experienced workers compensation attorney, who will carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "Workers Injured On the Job in Natural Gas Blast in California" »

Survivors of a crane crash, neighbors, and elected officials gathered on March 15 to mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly construction accident that killed six construction workers and a tourist. They observed a moment of silence for the victims.

According to the article on Philly.com by the Associated Press, the crane collapsed as it was being lengthened during the construction of a high-rise apartment building.

Three separate investigations blamed faulty rigging of an 11,000-pound crane part in the collapse. According to the article, workers attached the wrong number and type of protective slings to the steel brace meant to attach the crane to the tower under construction. This caused the brace to fall, which knocked out lower attachments to the building, resulting in the crane toppling into the quiet residential neighborhood near the United Nations.

A four-story town house was demolished and more than a dozen other buildings were damaged. After the crane accident, the city’s buildings commissioner resigned and the city passed dozens of new rules overseeing construction and cranes.

Continue reading "Anniversary of Deadly NYC Crane Collapse" »

Ten Sunoco contract workers were possibly exposed to a chemical vapor release on March 11 at the company’s South Philadelphia oil refinery.

According to the article in the Philadelphia Daily News, the workers were taken to the Sunoco medical clinic on site for evaluation and to one of two hospitals for further tests.

The company could not divulge the extent of their injuries and did not know whether they had been released from the hospitals.

The article stated that there was “no impact to the surrounding community.”

Sunoco is investigating the cause of the accident as well as what chemical that was released.

The United Steelworkers Union is urging the company to find the cause of the release so that this type of accident on-the-job in Pennsylvania or in any other state will not happen again.

Continue reading "Philadelphia Sunoco Workers Suffer On the Job Injuries" »

Workers who formerly worked for a chemical laboratory in Pennsylvania may be able to take advantage of a government compensation plan for exposure victims to the environmental toxins, according to this UPI news report. A former employee at the Vitro Manufacturing Co. in Canonsburg in the 1950s told news media outlets that she did not know the tests she was running were of radioactive materials. She said she knew she was dealing with uranium but no one ever told her about the effects of radiation.

The employee said she only became aware after she got diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. Although she does not have cancer now, she may qualify for at least $150,000 in workers' compensation from the federal government, the news report states. The U.S. Department of Labor has ruled that former employees of Vitro would be treated as a "special exposure" group under an eight-year law that compensates employees at former nuclear weapons plants. This designation allows Vitro employees or their families to receive a $150,000 payment and coverage of certain medical costs if they worked at the plant for more than 250 days between 1942 and 1957 and if at a later date, were diagnosed with one of 22 cancers.

Pennsylvania law requires that every employer carry workers compensation insurance that provides compensation in case the worker is injured or killed on the job or as in this case, becomes ill due to circumstances surrounding the job. Workers compensation benefits can include medical costs, lost wages and death benefits. If you or a loved one has been injured on-the-job in Pennsylvania or believe that you have suffered adverse health effects as a result of your work environment, please call the top Pennsylvania personal injury lawyers at Cherry, Fieger & Marciano, LLP for a free consultation.

Eight miners who were trapped underground for more than three days in 2002 have settled workers' compensation lawsuits against the mine’s operator and an engineering firm that drew the maps they used when they drilled into a flooded abandoned mine.

The Associated Press reported in an article that nine miners at PBS Coals’ Quecreek Mine in Somerset became trapped in a flooded tunnel on July 24, 2002. They dug into the mine while relying on outdated maps that showed it was 300 feet away.

The men were pulled from the ground in a dramatic rescue 77 hours later.

According to a report, eight of the miners have settled lawsuits against Quecreek Mine, the mine operator, PBS Coals, and the engineering firm that certified the maps. The monetary award to the miners is confidential. The companies do not admit to any negligence.

The report also said that a second group of miners who made it to safety also sued the companies and will share in the settlement.

In November, a judge issued PBS Coals and Musser Engineering fines of $55,000 each The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration had suggested fines of $5,000 each. The companies are appealing the fines.

Continue reading "Quecreek Miners’ Work Injury Lawsuits Settled" »

One man died and three others have been seriously injured in a blast at a south Louisiana oil facility. According to this article, the explosion happened around noon on March 10 at a Marathon Petroleum Co. pipeline facility in Vacherie, LA. The company stores and feeds crude oil to the company’s refinery in Garyville.

According to police in Louisiana, a crude oil pipeline was shut down for repairs at the St. James Pipeline Station when a welding crew apparently ignited fumes. There was no fire after the blast, but a worker was killed and three others were hospitalized with burns.

The family of the worker who died, as well as the injured workers, will be entitled to workers compensation benefits from their employer. It may be in the family’s best interest, however, to also contact an experienced workers compensation attorney, who will carefully examine the incident to identify any negligence or wrongdoing.

Continue reading "On the Job Explosion Kills 1 and Injures 3 in Louisiana Pipeline Blast" »

Former nuclear workers at a western Pennsylvania plant who are sick could receive compensation under a government program.

According to this article from the Fort Mill Times website, the Department of Labor announced that Atomic Weapons Employer employees who worked at Vitro Manufacturing in Canonsburg, Pa., during a set period in the 1940s and '50s are eligible.

Former workers diagnosed with one of 22 specific cancers are presumed to have received it from working at the plant and will receive compensation. Under the program, a worker’s family would also be eligible.

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 exists both as a way to benefit injured workers and as a way to protect employers. Workers’ compensation in Pennsylvania 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.

Continue reading "Pennsylvania Workers Compensation for Nuclear Employees " »

An employee of an Edison recycling company was killed on-the-job after being caught in a wood chipper. According to the Associated Press that appeared on Philly.com, the fatality occurred on Tuesday, February 24 at Generated Materials.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident and the police are withholding the man’s identity pending notification of his family.

According to the article, the man became entangled in a conveyor belt attached to the wood chipper in this on-the-job accident.

The family of the victim is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits through the workers’ employer. The family may also want to file a “third-party” claim. A claim may be filed against negligent parties other than the worker’s employer. It could, for example, be the manufacturer of a defective product that caused an injury or death or it could be another contractor or sub contractor.

Continue reading "On-the-Job Death of Man Caught in Wood Chipper" »

Juan Rivera, a 58-year-old Passaic man, was killed when he was run over by an excavating machine on a construction job in Holmdel, NJ. According to the Associated Press on Philly.com, the construction accident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. Monday. It happened in the back yard of a house that was being rebuilt after a fire.

Rivera was pronounced dead at the scene.

The article stated that the victim was working with another employee of a Franklin Lakes landscaping company that was installing a septic system and grading the yard. Rivera may have walked behind the 11-ton machine as the other man was backing it up.

The family of the victim is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits through the workers’ employer, Franklin Lakes. The family may also want to file a “third-party” claim for this tragic construction accident. A claim may be filed against negligent parties other than the worker’s employer. It could, for example, be the manufacturer of a defective product that caused an injury or death or it could be another contractor or sub contractor.

Continue reading "Worker On-the-Job Killed By Excavating Machine " »

SEPTA said human error likely caused the train crash that sent nine people to the hospital causing some injuries on-the-job and delayed commuters for much of the morning.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, a southbound work train struck the rear of a stopped southbound R1-Airport train about 4:40 a.m., on January 27. Five crew members were on the work train, and 16 passengers and two crew members were on the commuter train.

Four people were injured on the work train and five on the commuter train. They were treated at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Richard Dixon was on the R1 train when it was hit. He said he was at the front of the train, with the engineer, when the accident occurred.

Dixon was knocked backwards into the wall and the engineer hit his head. Dixon was among those who went to the hospital, to be examined for back pains, and he said one of the passengers in the same ambulance received stitches for a cut on his chin.

According to the article, initial inspections of the signal, communications, and mechanical systems showed all were working properly.

A spokeman for Septa said human error, possibly by train crew or a dispatcher, is the probable cause. Although light snow was in the area at the time, he said weather was not considered a significant factor in the accident.

Work trains are treated differently under railroad operating rules than regular trains and must have specific authority from a dispatcher to proceed on a main line.

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Six workers were sent to a hospital after a Milwaukee-area power plant erupted in a fiery explosion. According to an article from Wisn.com, the blast occurred on February 3 in a dust collector of the We Energies plant in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

The injured were contractor workers for ThyssenKrupp Safway Inc., a subcontractor of U.S. Fire Protection, who were setting up scaffolding in the dust collector, which is a silo where residual coal dust is collected for eventual burning.

One 22-year-old man was in critical condition with burns on half his body in this on-the-job injury. Five other men had minor smoke inhalation and burns. Three were in fair condition and two were treated and released from an area hospital. According to the article, one of the three men has burns on about half his body and will need skin grafts on his hands.

The blast sparked a fire in the silo that took about an hour to get under control.

The plant, located along Lake Michigan, burns 5,000 to 10,000 tons of coal per day.

There are about 230 employees at the plant, as well as several thousand construction employees who are working on an expansion project.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will investigate the construction accident explosion.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board said the government has ignored repeated calls from safety officials for tougher standards to prevent dust explosions.

Continue reading "Explosion At Wisconsin Power Plant Injures 6" »

A Philadelphia-area commuter rail employee was injured when she fell off a moving train on February 10. According to this article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer, she used her flashlight to wave down another train and get help.

The woman, whose name has not been released, fell from a SEPTA train just north of Levittown, PA, in this on-the-job injury.

The article said that police found her hat, a shoe, train schedules, and a ticket punch along the tracks. She was knocked unconscious, but regained consciousness and waved down a later Amtrak train with her flashlight.

The woman was taken by an ambulance to a nearby hospital.

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The Department of Corrections recently settled a workers compensation claim with Carol Snyder, a former Graterford Prison guard, for $226,000.

According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Snyder, as well as a medical expert, said she picked up a MRSA infection at the prison. The DOC settled with Snyder, although they are denying liability.

The CDC states that MRSA, also known as flesh-eating bacteria, is a staph germ that is resistant to most antibiotics. It is normally a skin infection and it can enter the body and kill. The disease has left Snyder’s face scarred and she has had recurring infections, including boils on her face, legs, armpits, and behind her ears.

The press secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections denied Snyder’s contention that there were numerous cases of MRSA infections among prison inmate, including a death-row inmate. The secretary acknowledged there were “a handful” of staph infections, only half of which were MRSA. Snyder also claimed the cleaning was inadequate at Graterford prison and that inmates could have picked it up through the laundry.

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OSHA finds hazardous conditions at Trainer refinery

ConocoPhillips’s PA refinery in Trainer has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for 27 violations. According to the article in the Delaware County Daily Times, many of these violations could result in fatalities.

A ConocoPhillips spokesman said the company plans to work with the federal government on these issues.

OSHA’s Philadelphia office began its investigation in June. The company was then issued 26 serious violations with penalties totaling $91,500 and one repeat violation, carrying a $25,000 penalty.

The company failed to update operating procedures as required, according to OSHA.

An OSHA spokeswoman explained that they changed their practice, but they didn’t modify the procedures.

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A foreman died last week at a Consol Energy Inc. coal preparation plant in West Virginia. According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, company employees found the body of 58-year-old Mark McIntyre about 1,000 yards from Consol’s McElroy Mine prep plant.

Officials said that it’s unclear what happened to McIntyre, who was wearing a life jacket and other safety gear.

McIntyre is the second McElroy employee to die at the mine this year. In October, a miner was killed when he was pinned between an underground locomotive and a rail car. McIntyre is the ninth West Virginia miner and 30th nationally to die on the job in 2008.

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), Coast Guard and United Mine Workers labor union are investigating the death.

There were also fatal workplace accidents at McElroy in 2003 and 2004. A miner was killed when the side of a coal pillar collapsed and pinned him against a piece of heavy equipment in August 2004. And, three contract workers were killed and three co-workers were injured in a methane explosion during construction of a ventilation shaft on Januray 22, 2003. MSHA cited a contractor for high negligence and reckless disregard for safety for the blast.

Consol operates 17 mining complexes in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Utah. McElroy has more than 740 underground employees.

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One worker was killed and at least 18 others were injured last week when a walkway being built to give visitors breathtaking views of the Atlanta Botanical Garden suddenly collapsed. It sent workers plummeting dozens of feet to the forest below. Contractors were pouring concrete on the “canopy walk,” which climbed as high as 40 feet, when it gave way.

According to this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the injured workers were on top of the bridge when it collapsed. Although a nearby park was filled with joggers and others, only laborers were at the scene when the bridge gave way.

According to the article, workers were doing concrete work at the time, but authorities had few details of what caused the collapse. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said four federal investigators were looking into it.

The garden’s Web site describes the skyway as the “only canopy level pathway of its kind in the U.S.” Rising to four stories high, it was to be supported by a system of cable wires in the 30-acre garden.

Many of the injured workers suffered injuries to their spines, backs and arms. Some were “potentially debilitating.”

A hospital spokeswoman said seven were sent to intensive care, most with brain and spinal injuries.

The building was led by Hardin Construction Co.

Continue reading "Atlanta bridge collapse kills worker, injures 18" »

A truck driver from Pennsylvania died after a pipe weighing more than 600 pounds fell on him at a construction site in Michigan.

According to this article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, 33-year-old Bradley Rodman of St. Marys, Pa., was killed last week in Bath Township, Michigan, about 75 miles west-northwest of Detroit.

Bath Township police say a large waterline pipe was being lifted off a semi by a forklift when a second pipe fell off the truck onto Rodman, who was pronounced dead at the scene of the construction accident.

Rodman was delivering equipment to the site and police are treating it as a construction accident.

The Rodman family will be entitled to receive workers’ compensation through his employer.
The family would also be well-advised to consult with an experienced Pennsylvania worker’s compensation attorney, who will tell them if there is a “third party claim” here. A third party claim is a claim made against someone other than the employer, but could be held responsible for the accident, injuries and/or wrongful death.

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One worker was killed and five were injured on the job in an explosion and fire at Delek Refining Ltd. in Texas. A few days after the explosion more than 2,000 gallons of gasoline spilled from a tank at the same refinery. The refinery employs about 270 people, has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day, and is the 94th-largest oil refinery in the U.S.

According to this article published in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the unleaded gas from Delek Refining Ltd. spilled into a creek, where firefighters set up a foam barrier to try to stop the spread.

Tyler Fire Department Chief Joey Wiggins said firefighters cleared the area after residents reported a strong gas smell. The refinery was closed at the time of the spill because Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the explosion and fire.

Delek was cited back in February by OSHA for safety violations that included failing to ensure valves were properly configured and an inability to show structures followed blast resistance guidelines.

The victims of the explosion could have a case against whoever designed, manufactured, or sold the equipment that malfunctioned and caused this worker’s death and the other work related injuries. If there was a product defect in the equipment that it manufactured then that manufacturer could be held liable. If the malfunctioned equipment was maintained by a third party (someone other than the employer) then they could also be held responsible for the accident and resulting injuries.

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A veteran Bucks County police chief and a young officer were seriously injured in a workplace fall on Oct. 16 when they fell down an open elevator shaft at a Bucks County Winery.

Tinicum Township Chief James Sabath, 48, and Officer Mark Compas, 26, suffered numerous broken bones in the 30- to 40-foot plunge at Sand Castle Winery, Tinicum Officer William Mooney said.

According to an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sabath and Compas were on routine patrol at about 11 p.m. Thursday when they spotted the security gate of the 72-acre winery open, Mooney said. They continued up the winding, paved drive to the massive, castle-like winery building, and saw a side entrance open, Mooney said.

"It was pitch black," he said. Sabath apparently stepped through the doorway and fell down an open freight-elevator shaft to the wine cellar, at least 30 feet below, sustaining serious injuries on the job.

"He was screaming for help, and when the other officer rushed to assist, he fell in," Mooney said.

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