Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog
According to a recent news update from the Boston Herald, two electrical workers were just shocked while on the job. Authorities say they were working on an electrical box when they were both shocked by a powerful current. In addition to being electrocuted, they suffered serious electrical burns during the workplace accident.
One of the workers was severely injured, and when first responders arrived on the scene, they did not believe he would survive an ambulance ride to a level-one trauma center with a burn ward, so they called for a medevac helicopter, so he could be airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in downtown Boston.
The other worker was also seriously injured in the on-the-job accident, but first responders were able to provide immediate medical attention and take him to a local hospital via ambulance, as opposed to airlifting him as was required for his coworkers who suffered far more severe burn injuries.
The reason burn injuries are so problematic is because, depending on the degree of the burn, the patient may lose skin, tissues, muscles, and, in the case of fourth degree burns, he or she may even lose bone from the fire. However, even if the burn area is not that thick, a loss of skin over large areas of the body can leave the injured worker very susceptible to infection, as the skin is the body’s best protection for bacteria and viruses.
In Massachusetts, a worker who is injured on the job and suffers permanent scarring to his or her hands, face, head or neck, may be entitled to a payment of special benefits in addition to the standard award of workers’ compensation benefits. There are special benefits paid to workers who suffer from an amputation of a hand, food, leg, or arm, and this special benefits payment is also in addition to the standard workers’ compensation benefits.
While the facts are never the same and every situation is different, your Boston workers’ compensation attorney may be able to assist you with filing for these additional benefits when appropriate. These special workers’ compensation awards are typically paid as a one-time sum as opposed to standard workers’ compensation benefits that are paid each month. Standard workers’ compensation benefits can be permanent or temporary and can be total or partial, depending on the nature of the claimed disability.
It should be noted that the cause of the shock injury is not known as of this time and the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) and the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will be working with local police to conduct a full investigation. One thing that is helpful to the injured workers is that it is not necessary to prove any fault or even know the cause of an accident to collect workers’ compensation benefits. The reason for this is because the workers’ compensation system in the Commonwealth is no fault system. It is only necessary to establish a worker was on the job at the time of the accident and the accident was work-related in most cases.
If you or someone you love has been injured a Boston work accident, call for a free and confidential appointment at (617) 777-7777.
Additional Resources:
Police: Two electrical workers shocked in Andover, May 2016, Boston Herald, By Antonio Planas
More Blog Entries:
Opioid Use in Boston Workers’ Compensation Cases Posing Serious Health Threat, April 10, 2016, Boston Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog