Construction work is dangerous work. Employees may be injured or killed by errant machinery, collapsing scaffolds, and moving cars. Such an accident can cause serious injuries and may require a lengthy recovery period. Some workers will never recover from their injuries. Depending on the situation, an individual who suffers a work-related injury may be entitled to compensation for his damages.
One Massachusetts construction worker may face a long recovery after being injured on the job. The victim was working to extend a sewer line to an assisted-living facility when the trench he was operating in collapsed on him. According to a member of the local fire department, dirt and debris covered the worker up to his chest. Police officers and firefighters rushed to the man’s aid, digging him out. The injured worker was rushed to the hospital with what one official believes were broken bones. The trench was later shored up. OSHA is investigating the accident.
When a worker is injured on the job, he may be left in a great deal of physical pain and he may require extensive medical attention. In addition to having to deal with this pain, the victim may be unable to work, and he therefore might have difficulty paying his medical and everyday expenses. If this is the case, the worker should seek to file a workers’ compensation claim. If accepted, workers’ compensation may aid the injured individual with covering his lost wages and medical expenses.
Sometimes, though, insurance companies deny these claims for various reasons. If this happens, the injured worker should seek legal advice. A Massachusetts attorney experienced in workers’ compensation cases can analyze the situation and determine whether the victim should seek to overturn the denial. If the worker wishes to proceed, the attorney will aggressively argue in an effort to prove the victim was injured by an accident in the workplace arising out of his scope of employment. The attorney may also try to show unsafe working conditions contributed to the accident.
A worker who puts his well-being on the line for his employer should be compensated properly when he is injured in carrying out his duties. When this fails to happen, an attorney might be a powerful weapon in seeking what the worker deserves.
Source: The Ipswich Chronicle, “Quick work by police may have saved workers’ life,” Dan MacAlpine, Nov. 19, 2013
