Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog

February 18, 2017

Report: Three Workers Burned in Natural Gas Explosion

According to a recent news article from 12 WSFA, three workers were drilling a water well when they accidentally hit a pocket of natural gas that resulted in a major explosion. This was a pocket of naturally occurring methane gas that was trapped underground until it was violently released by the workers’ drilling equipment.

Authorities say the freed methane gas became ignited under pressure, and that resulted in a large explosion. The three workers were burned in the accident. When paramedics arrived on the scene, they treated the workers’ burn injuries at the site of the explosion and then transported them to a local level-one trauma center for further care and treatment. Continue reading

February 15, 2017

OSHA Cites Gutter Firm After Worker Injured in Fall

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Any type of job that requires a worker to climb a ladder or get on a roof can be a very a dangerous job. The potential for falling in either of these scenarios is always a concern, and work-related fall injuries can result in long-term disability and even death.

There are many cases each year where workers fall from a significant height and are killed instantly. On the other hand, some who suffer injuries in a fall will experience an open or even closed head wound and will die hours or days later at hospital. In many cases, workers who fall from roofs survive but are left with lifelong physical injuries, mental injuries, or both. In some cases, we have psychological damage, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and in some cases we are dealing with workers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury. For these workers and their families, life will never be the same. Continue reading

February 13, 2017

HVAC Worker in Worcester Dies in Fall Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

For any workers who regularly toil on top of buildings, a fall injury is a significant risk that could result in serious injury or death. According to a recent news article from the Patriot Ledger, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) worker was killed when he fell off a building on which he was working in Worcester, Massachusetts.

The employee, who was 54 years-old at the time of this death, was working on the roof of a shopping center building that was approximately 35 feet in height. The accident occurred early in the morning, soon after he had started his shift. Continue reading

February 11, 2017

Diver Inspecting Braintree Water Tank Dies in Workplace Accident

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news report from the Boston Globe, a worker was killed in Braintree while he was diving to inspect an enormous water tank with his son nearby. The tank is four stories high and was filled with freezing cold water at the time of the incident.

Authorities report the man was hired to inspect this huge water tank and was inside of it that morning when he reported to others on the site that he was having trouble with his air supply. This was around 10 a.m. This communication was he last. He thereafter lost contact with workers on the surface, who were the last to see him alive. Continue reading

February 9, 2017

Co-Worker Liability for On-the-Job Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A recent case from the Supreme Court of Washington, deals with the scope of workers’ compensation exclusivity rules regarding an auto accident involving two co-workers that occurred as one was leaving a shift and one was just coming on. The two employees worked together at a major aerospace engineering corporation.

At around 6:30 a.m., after the defendant finished working his overnight shift at the aircraft factory, he was walking to his car where it was parked in the employee parking lot. He then got into his vehicle and drove across an access road still located on factory-owned property. This was not a publicly maintained roadway. Continue reading

February 7, 2017

Report: Construction Worker in Framingham Massachusetts Suffers Serious Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, a Framingham construction worker was seriously injured in an on-the-job accident. The victim, who was 38-years-old at the time of his serious workplace accident, suffered severe injuries to his pelvis and his legs.

Authorities said the victim was a man who was working on the construction site when a 5,000-pound front loader with a backhoe slipped down an icy hill. The large piece of construction equipment slipped more than 15 feet down the embankment and then crashed through a retaining walling and fell another 10 feet. When it finally came to a stop, it landed on the worker, and he was seriously injured in this workplace accident. Continue reading

February 3, 2017

Deli Worker Files Lawsuit after Workplace Injury

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

According to a recent news report from the Joliet Patch, an employee who worked in deli department of a big box retailer filed a lawsuit after he was allegedly injured on the job. His injury occurred when a 50-pound box of frozen chicken reportedly fell on him.

According to his complaint, he was taking these heavy boxes down from a shelf in the freezer when a handle broke, and the box landed on him. He further alleged that these boxes were manufactured with handles on each side and one of the handles was defective, which was the reason it broke, resulting in his personal injury. Continue reading

January 30, 2017

Marijuana and Worker Safety

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

With marijuana now being legal in Massachusetts, some are questioning what will happen if workers are showing up for the job under the influence of marijuana. This is not an easy question to answer, since many consider the drug a medicine just like any other drug, according to a recent news article from Claims Journal.

For obvious reasons, the insurance industry and especially those companies that sell workers’ compensation policies in the Commonwealth are concerned about this issue, since marijuana was legalized in the 2016 election when voters approved that new law. As one might imagine, the workers’ compensation insurance companies do not want to pay benefits to an employee who was injured when he or she was under the influence of marijuana. Continue reading

January 27, 2017

Worker Killed During Snow Removal

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating a fatal accident in which a worker was killed during a snow removal operation, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Authorities have said the victim was a carpenter hired on for the project that involved a major renovation at a storm water reservoir. This is a major project that is estimated to cost around $640 million by the time it is complete. The man was 55-years-old at the time of his death when he was hit by what is known as a rough terrain vehicle being used to clear snow so the work on the reservoir could continue. Continue reading

January 24, 2017

OSHA BloodBorne Pathogens Standard 15-Years-Old

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

In 2001, the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) first rolled out major updates to Bloodborne Pathogens Standards. This was created by enabling legislation from the 2000 Needestick Safety and Prevention Act. This was actually a watershed moment for workers, as it was one of the rare times in recent history that Congress unanimously passed any legislative act, especially one involving worker safety.

The act, as the name implies, was created to cut down on the number of accidental needle sticks among healthcare workers that could, and often would, result in unnecessary exposure to blood and bloodborne pathogens and the spread of disease to these brave health care employees working on the front lines. Continue reading