Industrial Accidents: Injury Claims and Safety Issues

Industrial accidents may occur in several workplace environments such as construction sites, refineries, assembly and manufacturing plants, factories and office buildings. These accidents, which are often caused by negligence or misconduct, are likely to result in injuries, such as industrial back injuries - or lead to disability and death.

Work Related Accident Injuries

The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/ OSHA) reported that nearly 450 deaths resulting from work-related accidents occur each year across the state, some due to heavy machinery accident, while some others due to accidents in construction.  Thousands more are injured each year in several industrial accidents of various causes. In construction-related accidents alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that nearly 9,605 persons have died over the past ten years. Work-related injuries, including deaths, account for  "lost-workday" case rate of 5.7 per l00 full-time workers in the construction industry, the highest of the major economic sectors.

Worker Injuries and Workplace Hazards

Construction site workers, machinery workers, heavy equipment operators, chemical / biological and industrial employees, and factory workers are likely to be injured or killed in industrial accidents due to high-level exposure to a variety of hazards such as machinery, tools, construction hazards like debris, or toxic substances, among others. Most industrial accidents may involve the following:

• Motor vehicle accidents
• Defective equipment and machinery
• Falling objects
• Construction accidents involving violations of OSHA regulations
• Heavy equipment accidents such as forklift and crane accidents
• Electrocutions
• Fires and explosions in the workplace
• Exposure to toxic chemicals and substances
• Unsafe working conditions

Safety Issues in Industrial Accidents

Under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and similar state laws, employers are required to adhere to strict safety standards in the workplace and to implement safety measures such as providing safety equipment to workers, training employees on how to do their jobs without exposing themselves to death or severe injury.

Employer Liability for Workplace Accident Injuries

Despite this, many employers continue to disregard accident injury law and many have been found to have violated safety laws and measures. Without them knowing, they can be held liable for the injuries that their workers and employees suffer at work. Some of these serious injuries are, in fact, catastrophic, life-changing and disabling, and would often require extensive medical care and treatment.   These injuries may include broken bones, amputations, brain and spinal cord injury, burns, and asphyxiation, traumatic brain injury, quadriplegia, paraplegia, fractured necks, and death.

Industrial workers are also in danger of potential long-term afflictions such as cancer and mesothelioma (from asbestos) due to exposure to various chemical and substances that may cause them.

Claims for Injuries in Industrial Accidents

Injured victims of industrial accidents can recover claims for their injuries through state worker’s compensation claims.  However, some states preclude an employee from suing his employer and also limit the compensation that it can provide for pain and suffering. In such cases, the victim may have to prove the liability of a third party other than the employer to recover claims for injuries from the accident.

In situations like these, the assistance of an experienced lawyer who handles personal injury cases involving industrial accidents would prove beneficial to one’s case.

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• This article is provided for informational purposes only. If you need help with an Injury Law question, click here to consult with a Rodney Mesriani or a Personal Injury Lawyer in your area.