For those not familiar with cryotherapy, clients get inside a therapy chamber, or place their head in the chamber if they are only having a facial, and then they are exposed to air that is below 240 degrees Fahrenheit for brief periods of time. This method of therapy is designed to rejuvenate the body. It is also being used more frequently these days by athletes who believe cryotherapy will help them get stronger after exercise and heal faster after an injury.   While many think of this concept as somewhat new, the spa owner of the facility where an employee was recently killed said this form of medical therapy has been around since the 1800s. The tank functions by using large amounts of liquid nitrogen and other chemicals to get the cryotherapy chamber down to temperature.

nitrogen-1484310According to a recent article from the Las Vegas Review Journal, a 24-year-old woman was working at a Las Vegas spa when she was found dead in the cryotherapy chamber. Authorities say she was last seen alive on security camera footage closing the spa for the evening. She was found dead in the chamber the following morning when employees came to open the spa for business. One of her coworkers called the family and told them what happened and expressed her condolences. She reportedly told the family it was common for employees to use the cryotherapy chamber personally without supervision. Continue reading

Working on a construction site is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. We typically see accidents involving falling debris, workers falling from heights, and accidents involving large construction equipment. According to a recent news feature from Equipment World, a worker in Florida was killed when he was backed over by a full-sized bulldozer.

bulldozer-in-action-1548988Witnesses say the 27-year-old worker was on the jobsite constructing an apartment complex when the fatal accident occurred. The employee who allegedly backed over worker was 37 years old and told the media he did not see worker during the incident. As is required in all fatal workplace accidents, the United States Department of Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has been called in to conduct a full investigation into the cause of the worker’s death. As part of their investigation, they will work with local inspectors and possibly law enforcement to conduct a series of interviews or even formal depositions to find out exactly what happened. Continue reading

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.

cheese-1178234According 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

Some of the most serious on-the-job injuries result in the death of an employee. Accidents that are also very serious but do not result in death can result in the lost of an arm or leg. These types of serious accidents resulting in amputation are more likely to occur when doing jobs that involve the use of heavy machinery, though there is often heavy machinery in more types of employment than one might initially think.

mHaZEPUObviously, a factory is likely to have a lot of large machinery, and there can be serious accidents caused by these machines. All machines are supposed to have guards to prevent unnecessary injuries to employees, but we frequently see accidents caused by improperly guarded machines. Continue reading

According a recent article from BALTV, a worker in the Baltimore area was seriously injured when he fell into a large tank of wastewater “activated sludge” at the sewage treatment plant at which he was employed.

industrialsmokestackCompany officials say the worker was getting into a Bobcat construction vehicle located on the top of what is known as a grit tank at the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant. When he got into the Bobcat, the bucket on the front of the machine unexpectedly rose up and knocked into the operator. At this point, the operator was knocked off the Bobcat and fell into the grit tank of sludge, causing serious bodily injury.   It has not been said what the full extent of worker’s injuries were, but we do know he was flown by medevac helicopter to a shock trauma center capable of dealing with such a serious on-the-job injury. Continue reading

Asbestos is a highly toxic substance used in nearly every aspect of production during the industrial revolution.   In many cases, it was used because of its ability to withstand heat, fire, electricity, and caustic chemicals. In other cases, it was used because of its ability to form incredibly strong chemical bonds. As one might expect, this makes it seem perfect as a bonding agent, and the ability to resist fire and heat was considered an added bonus.

asbestos-244234-mBinders such as gun plastic cement and drywall compound were very heavily used in the building trades, including residential, commercial, and even industrial buildings. For example, even today in the construction industry, gun plastic cement is heavily used when installing drywall and joint compounds. Some companies would just make what is called plastic cement and the workers turn it into a product called gun plastic cement by adding industrial grade asbestos.    Gun plastic cement was preferable to non gun plastic cement because the asbestos fibers make it have a stronger bond, and as the hose on the gun gets lubricated the process becomes easier to spread on wallboards. Continue reading

This time of year, families across the country are driving out to the country to go to county fairs, pumpkin patches, and apple festivals. While these events and festivals can be a lot of fun for the entire family, for workers it often means long hours and sometimes even dangerous conditions.

rideAccording to a recent news article from NBC, a worker at a state fair was working in the midway running an attraction when a nearby carnival ride malfunctioned. The ride was called the Crazy Mouse, and it was spinning carnival riders around when a piece of the ride broke off and went flying toward the state fair mainstay. Witnesses say the piece of the ride hit the worker in the midway and caused a serious, but non-life threatening injury. The worker was taken to a local hospital, so he could be treated for his injury. Continue reading

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.

usdollars3However, 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

In Flowell Elec. Ass’n v. Rhodes Pump, LLC, claimant was working on servicing a well when he and his employer raised the boom on a work truck within close proximity to some high voltage power lines. They told other workers that they had raised the boom near the power lines and these other workers brought some type of “cover ups” to protect the workers from the power lines. These cover ups were laid across 15 of the high voltage line.

mhX6v10Despite the cover ups as precautions, claimant managed to come into contact with the high voltage lines and was seriously injured. He was working for his employer at the time of the accident and filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. His claim for workers’ compensation benefits was approved and he collected benefits but he also filed a negligence against a third party defendant who had its own workers involving in saying the job was safe and provided the covering material. Continue reading

In Contra Costa County v. Workers’ Comp. Appeals Bd., a workers’ compensation benefits appeal from the Court of Appeal of the State of California, claimant was working as a medical technician when she sustained cumulative industrial injuries to her neck and one shoulder. Her on-the-job injuries required several surgeries and left her with permanent scarring.   When claimant was injured, she was 49 years old and had worked for her employer for around eight years prior to becoming disabled.

mgyptbsLegal records also indicate claimant had a bachelor’s degree and a felony conviction on her record for possession and sale of methamphetamine.   The workers’ compensation board determined claimant was disabled and assigned a disability rating of 79 percent. Her disability on the permanent disability rating schedule was 59 percent. Claimant rejected her rate claimant her future disability would result in further loss of earnings in an amount that would exceed the current rating. She also claimed that due to the nature of her injury, she was not likely to be a good candidate for rehabilitation. Continue reading

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