Recently, a Boston firefighter who was working on a five alarm cable system came into contact with 25,000 volts of electrical current. The work related injury occurred when the men were running cables near the Canterbury Street overpass. Somehow, as the cable was hanging from an overpass, the cable came into contact with a very powerful line that delivers electricity to the commuter train system. The firefighter on the ground received the electrical shock.
Fortunately, the early reports indicate that the firefighter, who was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, survived the accident and did not suffer catastrophic injuries. According to reports, he has subsequently been released from the hospital.
Work related injuries can occur to men and women in all types of occupations. However, some occupations are inherently more dangerous than others. A firefighter may face life threatening dangerous work conditions many, many times during his or her career. Due to the sheer physical nature of their work, they may also suffer from back, neck and other related injuries as well. Still, not all work-related injuries occur during a fiery battle – they can just as easily happen to office or factory workers.
Fortunately, Boston employees are eligible to receive workers compensation benefits should they suffer any type of injury while on the job. When a claim for workers’ compensation benefits is filed under the Massachusetts workers’ compensation system, a worker may be eligible to receive a number of very important benefits including compensation for medical treatment related to their injuries and benefits for lost wages due to an inability to work following their accident. In addition to these benefits, they may also be entitled to receive additional benefits if they are left with a permanent impairment or disability as a result of the accident.
Source: Boston Globe, “Worker suffers electric shock in fire-alarm cable accident“, Martin Finucane, Feb. 22. 2013
