Aggressive Counsel for Workers with Caught In/Between Injuries
Caught in/between accidents can occur in many different situations. Construction workers, factory workers, industrial workers, and others who operate heavy machinery are at high risk of being injured in caught in/between accidents.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), this type of accident is one of the “fatal four,” accounting for at least four percent of construction worker deaths.
The experieced workers’ compensation lawyers at Larry Pitt & Associates, P.C. have handled all types of workplace accidents, including those caused by:
- Equipment rollovers: Workers who handle forklifts, roller/compactors, tractors, and other heavy machines may be involved in a rollover accident. If rollover protective structures are not implemented, or seatbelts are not used, workers may suffer serious, sometimes fatal injuries from this type of accident.
- Improperly maintained equipment: Equipment must be regularly maintained to ensure that it is working properly. When employers fail to provide employees with safe, properly functioning equipment, accidents can happen.
- Rigging accidents: Improper loading or rigging failures can expose workers to potentially fatal hazards. OSHA sets forth safe work practices for riggers and their employers.
- Rotating equipment: Rotating equipment such as compressors, engines, pumps and turbines pose significant dangers to employees who do not take proper precautions. Loose clothing, jewelry, or hair may become caught in the machine, often causing serious injury to the worker.
- Trenching and excavation: Trench collapses are the cause of hundreds of injuries each year, according to OSHA. Other trench and excavation-related accidents include cave-ins, falls, falling loads, and hazardous atmosphere.
- Unguarded parts: Machine guarding is an important part of safeguarding employees from dangerous moving machine parts. OSHA reports that moving machine parts may cause many severe injuries, including crushing injuries, amputations, burns and blindness.
Common Caught In/Between Injuries
Injuries from caught in/between accidents range in severity, depending on the equipment involved and the circumstances surrounding the accident. Some common types of injuries include:
- Amputations
- Bruising
- Degloving injuries
- Fractures
- Internal organ damage
- Lacerations
- Muscle strains, sprains and tears
- Neck injuries
- Paralysis
- Scalping
- Spinal cord injuries
- Tissue damage
- Traumatic brain Injuries (TBI)
Caught In/Between Accident Prevention
Caught in/between accidents are often preventable. Employers are required to provide employees with safe and healthful workplaces. Some ways they can protect workers from caught in/between accidents include:
- Training employees on potential hazards and accident prevention
- Ensuring that machine guards are in place
- Seeing to the regular inspection, maintenance and service of all equipment
- Following lockout/tagout procedures
- Designating a limited access zone or swing radius around heavy machinery
- Ensuring that equipment is secured and supported
- Providing workers with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Protecting workers in trenches and excavations from cave-ins
- Protecting workers from collapsing walls or scaffolding
Obtaining Compensation for Caught In/Between Injuries
Workers who are injured in caught in/between accidents may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation for their injuries under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act. The workers’ compensation system is no-fault, meaning that an employee may recover for their injuries through their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance, regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
Workers’ compensation benefits include compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, specific loss and disfigurement, vocational rehabilitation, and death benefits for families of workers who sustained fatal workplace injuries.
However, sometimes a negligent third party is responsible for a worker’s injuries. In those cases, a worker may file a personal injury claim against the third party to recover additional damages such as pain and suffering.
Our experienced workers’ compensation and personal injury lawyers can help you determine the best course of legal action to take in order to maximize your recovery.
Philadelphia Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at Larry Pitt & Associates, P.C. Help Workers Injured in Caught In/Between Accidents Obtain Compensation
If you were injured in a caught in/between accident, contact a skilled Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyer at Larry Pitt & Associates, P.C. We represent injured workers in Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Philadelphia County and throughout Pennsylvania. For a free consultation, call us at 888-PITT-LAW or complete our online contact form.
Our legal team provides skilled representation to those residing in and around Abington, Ambler, Ardmore, Bala Cynwyd, Bensalem, Clifton Heights, Crum Lynne, Darby, Downingtown, Doylestown, Drexel Hill, Essington, Folcroft, Glenolden, Haverford, Havertown, Holmes, Kutztown, Lansdowne, Media, Merion Station, Morton, Narberth, Norristown, Norwood, Philadelphia, Prospect Park, Quakertown, Reading, Roxborough, Sharon Hill, Upper Darby, West Chester and Wynnewood.
