Industrial Accident Lawyer Blog

For the second year in a row, scaffolding accidents have topped OSHA's list of citations issued. There were over 8,000 violations issued last year related to scaffolding. Fall protection came in second, with just over 7500 violations. Whenever a worker is at a height of 4 feet (general industry) or 6 feet (construction), fall protection must be provided. Fall protection is a simple thing to do---it usually consists of just wearing a harness.

The good news is OSHA is enforcing its regulations, leading to a reduction in Georgia work injuries and lost productivity caused by on the job injuries and workers compensation claims.

An explosion at an industrial facility in Gurnee, Ill., as caused one work injury. An electrical box outside a storage faciity exploded, throwing a sub-contractor back into a chain link fence, causing injuries to the man's wrists and legs. Authorities believe there may have been a small hydrogen leak which caused the explosion.

Anytime there is an industrial accident like this, the injuries are both physical and mental. Workers who have experienced something like a workplace fire or explosion usually suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and often cannot return to work in the industrial setting. Because workers in industry can have a high rate of pay, the lost earnings incurred as a result of a work injury might be in the millions of dollars.

While performing demolition work in Channahon, Illinois, Timothy Shields was killed in a construction accident by a one inch piece of rebar. Shields and another man were breaking down sections of a weigh scale when a 10 foot section of rebar broke loose, striking Mr. Shields in the forehead underneath the hardhat. Mr. Shields was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Wearing PPE, as Mr. Shields was doing, is always one of the best way to maintain a safe work environment and avoid a work injury, but wearing PPE alone does not provide a 100% guarantee that you will not be the victim of an on the job injury. Construction demolition work, particularly at old industrial sites, can be especially treachorous, because there are no plans or specs to be reviewed, and the work can be somewhat chaotic. Georgia workers' compensation lawyers are frequently called upon to represent those hurt during the demo phase of a construction project.

Electrocution work injuries are some of the most common, deadly types of on the job injuries , and often lead to workers' compensation claims and disabling conditions. Recently, Roger Thompson (from Brooksville, Florida), was electrocuted and killed while working as an electrician at the South Carolina State Fair. South Carolina OSHA is investigating the circumstances surrounding this worker death.

In 2008, another fair worker was killed when he was crushed by a counterweight. In that incident, the decedent's employer was cited for failure to furnish a safe workplace. It appears that while the rides may be safe for those attending the fair, the workers assembling the rides or working at the fair are in a dangerous workplace.

Every week, injured workers from Georgia and across the country call the Flynn Law Firm looking for an Atlanta Workers Compensation Attorney. Often, these workers are surprised to learn that Georgia Workers Compensation is not the only available remedy----that they may have a third party case to file against those other than the employer.

Under the Georgia Workers Compensation system, workers hurt on the job are entitled to have their medical bills paid and a certain portion of their wages paid, and that's it. In a third-party work injury case, an injured worker can recover the full value of their past and future medical bills, plus damages for pain, suffering, and emotional distress. In the wrongful death context, the family of someone killed on the job can recover for the full value of the life of the decedent-----a substantial sum. Workers comp. provides far less to the family of a deceased worker.

Most Atlanta Workers Compensation attorneys only practice workers comp (and administrative area of law), and don't go to court, don't know anything about OSHA regulations, and simply do not understand the complexities of a third-party work injury lawsuit. If you have been hurt on the job or in a Georgia construction accident, you can always call the Flynn Law Firm to obtain a free consultation and determine what rights you have against other companies besides your employer.