Boston Work Accidents

November 1, 2015

Deli Worker Shot and Killed by Customer

In most workers’ compensation cases, we are generally dealing what would be considered an accident. This could be an industrial accident, such as person being hurt by a machine or other piece of equipment such as forklift, or we could be dealing with a car accident while driving on the job. In some cases, we are dealing with merchandise or an inventory item falling from a high shelf and injuring claimant. However, in some cases, we are dealing with an injury or death caused by what is definitely not an accident. In some cases, a worker is injured by the intentional acts of a customer, vendor, or third party. Workers’ Compensation may still be the appropriate remedy in these cases.

According to a recent news article form the New York Times, a deli worker in Brooklyn was shot and killed on a Sunday morning during an argument in the deli in which he was employed. Officers say the three men in the deli got into an argument with the worker. At some point, the three men left the deli, but allegedly one of the three men came back to the deli and shot the worker in his chest before running out of the shop. This worker was rushed to a level-one trauma center in the area, but unfortunately, there was nothing doctors could do for him, and he was soon pronounced dead. He was 45 years old at the time of his death. Continue reading

October 15, 2015

Ball v. Multiple Injury Trust Fund: Work-Related Injuries

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Ball v. Multiple Injury Trust Fund, a case from the Supreme Court of Oklahoma, involved a claimant who was injured while working at a tire plant. The injury occurred in July of 2009. Workers filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, and a full hearing was eventually held. The judge concluded that worker was 24 percent partially permanently disabled due to her back injury and 5 percent partially permanently disabled as a result of psychological illness. She was awarded just under $50,000 in workers’ compensation benefits.

However, the court also found there were preexisting back conditions in the amount of eight percent of her total disability, and the award was adjusted to reflect the partial preexisting condition. To avoid any further litigation, the parties ultimately reached a settlement, and claimant received an award of $75,000 in addition to the previous award of $50,000. Continue reading

September 29, 2015

New Lighting Technology Makes Work Safer

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to an article from Occupational Health and Safety Online, recent advances in lighting technology have made jobs considerably safer for workers who rely on flashlights and lanterns to see during their work. These advances in light equipment allow small hand-held devices to offer brightness that matches large floodlights.

One of the new lighting technologies that is making the job safer and reducing workers’ compensation claims is known as high lumen technology. High lumen lights are especially helpful at inherently dangerous working environments like nighttime construction sites, industrial operations, mines, and many other types of employment. LED technology has become so advanced in recent years that small lights can produce between 500 and 1,100 lumens for extended periods of time. Ten years ago, it would have taken huge lights that get hot and require a lot of power to produce anywhere near these light levels, and it would have been unheard of to have it in a handheld device. Continue reading

August 25, 2015

Worker Injured at New England Fair

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

There is nothing quite like going to the fair. Whether it is teenagers heading out to the fair in the last days before school starts again, or family heading out for a day of fun, there is always a lot to see and do. It is also the chance to eat some of the unhealthiest foods imaginable.

However, men and women who work at a fair and travel with it across the country are working a job just like any other, and just like any other job, there are employees who get injured. According to a recent news article from WMUR, the Cornish Fair in New England had to close one of the rides after one worker and two guests were injured in an accident. Continue reading

August 22, 2015

Ford Reduces Employee Injuries by 70 Percent

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Large factories often employ hundreds, if not thousands, of workers each.

These employees are often at risk for a variety of reasons. In addition to the typical accidents we imagine, such as those involving heavy machinery on the production floor, there are a great deal of on-the-job injuries related to repetitive stress in factory jobs.

According to a recent news report from Assembly, Ford Motor Company has been working to reduce the number of on-the-job injuries at its production facilities, and is reporting a 70 percent reduction in the worker injury rate among its workforce. Continue reading

July 31, 2015

Road Construction Accidents – Night and Day

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Working on the side of a major highway is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. It is for this reason we see all of the reflective orange signs warning us to drive carefully as we are about to enter an active work zone. It is also the reason all workers are required to wear reflective orange and yellow clothing and be careful to stay clear of any approaching traffic. However, there is no question that no matter what precautions drivers and workers take to prevent injury, there will still be many serious accidents each years, and some accidents will be fatal.

In order to help reduce the number of accidents, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and other governmental organizations, not-for-profit organizations, and insurance companies are regularly conducting studies to determine how to make the job safer. Obviously, insurance companies are primarily interested in worker safety, as it will reduce the total number of claims each year, and this will make their respective companies more profitable. Continue reading

July 26, 2015

Update: Ironworker Injured at Boston Logan Airport Died From Injuries

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

On June 10, 2015, an ironworker was helping to build a new parking structure at Boston Logan International Airport when he was involved in a serious on-the-job accident. Authorities say victim was on the third level of the parking garage under construction and was helping to secure a massive concrete platform to the structure.

While he was attempting to secure the concrete platform, it broke free from the crane that was suspending it, and the platform and the workers fell approximately 40 feet to the ground. In addition to serious impact from his fall, the worker was left trapped between the platform and an exterior wall of the garage. Continue reading

July 22, 2015

Three New Bedford, Mass. Workers Injured in Porch Collapse

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Authorities say three workers were injured on the job in New Bedford, Massachusetts while they were renovating a three-story house according to a recent news article in the Boston Herald. The injured workers were on the third floor of the home trying to remove the porch. They were planning to remove the third floor and porch on the second floor, so they could install new windows on the home. While they were working to remove the porch, it fell off the side of the home, and the three workers fell around 25 feet to the ground.

One worker was 39-years-old at the time of the accident, and he and his 42-year-old coworker both reportedly suffered neck and back injuries. The two of them were taken to hospital, where they were treated and released. The other worker, who is 34-years-old, suffered a leg injury, but he declined medical attention and reportedly told police he planned to drive himself to a local hospital later. Continue reading

July 19, 2015

Roofing Worker Injured On the Job in Brockton, Massachusetts

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news report from The Boston Globe, a worker in Brockton was injured on the job during a roofing project when bricks from the home’s chimney came loose and fell on one of the roofers working on the home.

Witnesses say the worker was hired to help install a new roof on a two-and-a-half story home in Brockton. The worker was wearing a safety harness, as required by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and local building codes while working on the roof. While the harnesses are very effective at preventing workers from falling of a roof, on this particular day, the line from the safety harness’s rig became tangled around the chimney. Continue reading

July 15, 2015

Ironworker Injured at Logan Airport in East Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

While construction work has gotten a great deal safer than it once was, ironwork is still one of the most dangerous jobs in America. The job involves constantly working at dangerous heights with little protection, and also working around thousands of pounds of iron and steal that may collapse or shift at any moment in the event of an accident.

According to a recent article from The Boston Globe, an ironworker was injured on the job at Logan Internal Airport in East Boston. Authorities say the 53-year-old worker suffered a critical injury when he was trying to secure a concrete panel weighing over 30 tons. A crane was suspending the heavy concrete panel at a height of around 40 feet off the ground. It was being lifted to the third floor of a parking garage being constructed at the airport. Continue reading