Articles Tagged with Fall Accidents

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When a Connecticut construction worker suffers serious injuries on a jobsite in Massachusetts, which state’s law applies to any ensuing litigation?

The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently considered this issue.scaffold

The case focuses on workers’ compensation insurance. On July 6, 2020, a three-judge appeals court panel held had the construction worker filed a negligence suit in Massachusetts Superior Court against out-of-state contractors he blamed for his work injury, the worker would be able to sue under Massachusetts’ three-year statute of limitations, even though he lives in Connecticut.

The panel called the issue “straightforward.”

One lesson that can be learned from the court’s ruling is that lawsuits—especially ones that involve out-of-state parties and incidents—can be complicated. A skilled construction site injury attorney can analyze the specific facts of your case and advise as to where the case should be brought to achieve the best possible outcome. Continue reading

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In most jobs in the Greater Boston area, a worker is an employee of his or her company or boss and there is very little question about that classification.  This is true if you work for hourly wages at a fast food restaurant and it is also true if you are the regional manager for a large company in most cases. The point is, most workers get a paycheck every two weeks or each month and the employer must withhold taxes based upon the allowance claimed by an employee.  At the end of the year, an employee is entitled to a W-2 form declaring to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), what he or she has made each year and how much he or she has already paid in taxes and other federal withholdings. There are however, some occupations where the lines are blurred and the worker may actually be an independent contractor.

Boston Workers' Compensation This matters in Boston workers’ compensation cases because while an employee within the meaning of the statute (Chapter 152, Section 1(1A) of the Massachusetts General Laws (M.G.L)), is entitled to workers’ compensation in the event of an on the job injury or work-related illness, independent contractors are not.  This means if an independent contractor is injured on the job or becomes sick due to a work-related illness, he or she will have to use personal health insurance and will not be compensated for any lost wages due to time missed from work unless he or she has private short or long-term disability insurance. If it is possible to afford such coverage, it is usually a good idea to get it in the even the worker in injured while on the job in Boston. Continue reading

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Working on ladders, especially tall ladders that lead to a roof, is extremely dangerous work.  While many people who do this type of work take safety for granted and do not worry too much about falling, it happens all the time.  Not only do workers fall off ladders and roofs all the time, these fall accidents often result in serious injury or death.

scaffoldAs for serious injury, there are not only cases with broken arms and legs, but also many cases where a worker will suffer a spinal cord injury that results in permanent paralysis.  There are also many cases where a worker who falls of a ladder or roof will suffer a serious head injury that results in permanent brain damage.  Any of these accidents can seriously affect a worker’s quality of life in a negative manner and can also have devastating and life-changing consequences for family members.  There are also many cases where falling from a high ladder or roof results in death. Continue reading

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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.

workerThere 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

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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.

workThe 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

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When working on a construction project, laborers are sometimes needed to toil at relatively high elevations above ground level.  Even on projects that are not in any way considered a skyscraper, falling from the height at which workers are stationed could result in serious personal injury or death.  This could be falling off scaffolding, in the case of a building that is being renovated, falling of an exposed beam or rafter in new construction, or falling down a temporary or permanent elevator.  A temporary elevator is commonly used at construction sites before the permanent elevators or escalators are up and running.

scaffoldAccording to the New York Daily News, a worker was recently critically injured when he fell down an elevator shaft.  This was his second day on the job, and he was working on a building construction project in Brooklyn. Continue reading

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When we think of workers’ compensation, we typically think of someone getting hurt once he or she is already at work or on-the-clock.  There has been significant litigation about what happens when worker is injured on his or her way home from work or his or her way to work, and that is covered by what many jurisdictions refer to as the coming and going rule. It should be noted that, generally speaking, a worker is not entitled to workers’ compensation for travel to and from work absent special circumstances.

workHowever, it is close case when a worker is injured on the employer’s property, but before he or she has officially started work, or physically clocked in at a job that requires the use of a time clock.  A recent news feature from Business Insurance, a trade publication for the insurance industry, looks at a case involving a woman who was injured when she slipped and fell on an icy parking lot outside the childcare facility at which she worked.  Continue reading

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According to a recent news report from WADT, a construction worker was installing insulation on a large building that was undergoing a complete renovation project when he fell two stories.  It seems the support beams under the floor on which he was standing collapsed.

constructionsite2A spokesperson from the local fire department said he fell the entire 20 feet when the floor under him gave way and he fell to the ground landing on the rubble below him.  He was seriously injured in the construction site fall.  Continue reading

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The Arizona State University Sun Devil Stadium is currently undergoing a major renovation project. According to a recent news feature from The Arizona Republic, a construction worker was seriously injured when he fell approximately 30 feet from scaffolding while working at the jobsite.

mWynm5Y-300x224Authorities say he injured his head, chest, and arm from the fall.  He was treated by first responders and immediately taken to to a local level-one trauma center. Hospital officials say he is in serious condition, but he is stable and is expected to survive.  The total extent of his health condition is not known as of this time.   This accident slowed down the construction project, but work was able to resume a short time later, and construction on the stadium is expected to be complete by 2017.  This is the first renovation project in many years. Continue reading

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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

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