Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers: Machine Related Injuries
February 8, 2017
Construction workers face a wide range of potential injuries on a construction site, including dangerous falls from scaffolding, serious electrocutions, and being struck by falling debris. Depending on the employee’s job responsibilities, construction workers may also be required to operate heavy machinery. While machine-related injuries are one of the least common among construction injuries, they can be some of the most severe, often leaving the victim permanently disfigured. In extreme cases, these workplace accidents can be fatal.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the four most common types of fatal construction injuries, also known as the “Fatal Four,” include falls, electrocutions, struck by an object, and caught in/between accidents. Machine-related, or caught in/between injuries represent only 4.3 percent of fatalities. However, when you consider the manner in which these fatalities occur, they are some of the most graphic injuries in the construction industry. Typically, these fatalities occur when a worker is crushed to death or there is a tragic mishap with a heavy piece of machinery.
When a construction worker is involved in a caught in/between accident, the victim’s body is often squeezed, crushed, pinned, or caught between two or more objects. As you can imagine, this type of accident can be particularly gruesome. When you think about a worker being crushed to death by heavy equipment, getting trapped between a wall and a piece of heavy machinery, or sucked into machinery that is not properly guarded, it is no surprise that these types of workplace injuries are often fatal. And if the victim is lucky enough to survive, he or she is often left with severe physical and emotional scars, including hand, arm, or leg amputations.
Examples of Machine Related Injuries
Victims of caught in/between accidents may suffer the following injuries:
- Crushed bones
- Amputations
- Lung injuries
- Damage to internal organs
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis
- Permanent nerve damage
- Permanent impairment of other body parts that have been injured
Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Obtain Maximum Compensation for Injured Workers
Construction workers who use heavy machinery on a regular basis face a significant risk of severe injury, especially if the equipment is not properly maintained, and employees do not receive adequate training on how to operate the machinery. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a machine-related accident, you are strongly urged to contact the experienced Baltimore Workers’ Compensation lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton as soon as possible. Our dedicated team will fight hard to ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive the financial compensation you deserve. We will guide you through every step of the claims process, answering any questions you might have along the way. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 844-556-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
