Industrial Accidents
Millions of Americans are employed in an industrial area such as automotive, manufacturing, chemical, oilfield, construction, transportation, water, sewage, retail, and many other industries. In fact, there were 447,600 jobs in 2014 in industrial machinery mechanics, maintenance workers, and millwrights alone according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With heavy machinery, complex equipment, and an array of vehicles, the work can be highly dangerous and is one of the most dangerous areas to be employed throughout the nation.
Industrial Accidents Causes
One of the most common types of industrial accidents involves powered industrial trucks. In fact, it made the top ten most frequently cited standards by Federal OSHA in fiscal year 2014. More commonly called forklifts or lift trucks, many workers are injured when:
- Industrial trucks are inadvertently driven off loading docks
- Industrial trucks fall between docks and an unsecured trailer
- Industrial trucks are struck by another vehicle
- Industrial trucks fall while on elevated pallets and tines
Other industrial accidents can have many causes and are often attributed to:
- Failure to properly communicate safety procedures or to comply with new safety standards
- Failure to provide safe avenues for moving vehicles and the workers around them
- Failure to maintain or replace equipment
- Delays in maintaining and inspecting equipment
- Improper construction of equipment, rails, scaffolding, etc.
- Cracks and fissures in pipes, lines, and other equipment
- Improper storage of hazardous fluids
- Failure to provide adequate safety equipment such as goggles, helmets, and suits
- Failure to spot and repair possible causes of fire or explosions
- Failure to provide working fire suppression equipment
- Failure of regulatory agencies to cite infractions
Industrial Accident Injuries
When industrial accidents happen, they can result in devastating injuries made all the more harmful given that industrial work is difficult for workers who are healthy. These injuries include but are not limited to: broken limbs, amputation of limbs, burns, contact with electrical equipment, neck trauma, back injuries, damage to the brain, paralysis, and many others. These injuries often result in large and continued medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and take a great toll on the victim and their families.
Industrial workers who are injured on the job as the result of negligence on the part of the employer can face a difficult road ahead. When someone is injured in an accident, it is a common practice for the employer to deny culpability, minimize the injury, and to try and settle the case through a meager worker’s compensation settlement. The employer, their insurance company, and the lawyers who represent them will all be looking to make as small a settlement as possible in the end and often force worker’s to sign documents they don’t understand. They may even outright deny the worker’s claim, attempt to fault them with the accident, and even file claim against them.
Industrial Accident Attorney
If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in an industrial accident, you have a limited time to act. Contact us immediately so we can help you learn your rights when dealing with an employer or filing a claim with no obligation to you.
