Hingham has 13 stations that pump raw sewage, but the man’s complaints were focused on the Bayberry Station. He alleges that a colleague was hit with electrical shocks while working at that station. He also says that the town failed to fix the cause of that workplace accident and that there could still be unaddressed workplace violations at the station. It was also the site of a fire in 2008, according to the man.
The Sewer Commissioner has said the town is working to address safety concerns.
Source: Workplace violations alleged at hearing of Hingham sewer worker, Boston Globe, July 14, 2010
]]> Our Massachusetts workplace accident attorneys can answer your legal questions if you have been injured on the job. ]]>The most recently recorded statistics are from 2008 and show that assaults and violent acts accounted for 816 deaths, a decrease of 5% from 2007. The top cause of death was transportation accidents and contact with objects or equipment, causing 2,130 and 937 deaths respectively. Other common causes include falls, exposure to harmful substances, and fires or explosions.
According to Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., assaults and violent acts are the 10th most-common cause of disabling injuries in the workplace. In 2007, these injuries cost employers $600 million. However the top cause of serious injury is heavy lifting or other forms of overextension.
Source: Violence Is Workplace Hazard, Portfolio.com, July 13, 2010
]]> Contact our Massachusetts workplace injury law firm if you have been injured on the job. ]]>A spokesperson for the agency overseeing the construction project said it would take a few weeks to remove the154 limestone panels that had already been installed, but it should not delay the project, which is due to open in the summer of 2011.
Federal investigators have gotten involved and are looking to discover the cause of the construction accident. The construction manager said he plans to conduct his own investigation. Both investigations could take several months to complete.
Source: State orders wall panels removed from Salem court building, Gloucester Daily Times, June 30, 2010
]]> Our Massachusetts construction accident lawyers can answer your legal questions. ]]>The $3 million awarded will go to the state’s general fund and to the thirteen drivers named in the suit. There is another lawsuit on behalf of other drivers that is still pending.
The company denies liability in the settlement with the state.
Source: Mass. reaches $3M settlement with FedEx Ground, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, July 15, 2010
]]> Contact a Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorney if you are not receiving the benefits to which you are entitled. ]]>On Wednesday, emergency response crews retrieved the bodies of the two workers whose bodies were buried under debris. The steel supporting the structure reportedly collapsed around 4:30pm local time, pouring steel, rocks, and dirt on top of the construction workers.
Eight other workers sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. The cause of the construction site accident is still being investigated.
Source: Two killed in Beijing subway construction site accident, Xinhuanet.com, July 14, 2010
]]> Our Massachusetts workplace accident lawyers can answer your legal questions. ]]>Coakley says the proposed rate hikes would have cost employers tens of millions in additional premium payments. In addition to this year’s rate reductions, Massachusetts workers’ compensation insurance companies will be subject to another rate review and possible rate cuts in 2011.
The settlement still needs final approval from the state’s commissioner of insurance. If approved, the lower workers' comp rates will be in effect next fall. The hope is that lower costs will spur job growth across the state and protect employers from overpaying.
Source: Massachusetts: Attorney general nixes insurers' request for increase, RiskAndInsurance.com, July 8, 2010
]]> If you have been injured on the job in Massachusetts and are not receiving the medical care and benefits you need, our Massachusetts workers’ compensation attorneys may be able to help. ]]>However, the general contractor of the Milford work site discovered that the man was also allegedly employed as a subcontractor for another construction company and earned almost $10,000 while out on disability. Investigators alleged that the construction worker collected $14,000 in workers’ compensation benefits to which he was not entitled.
The man was arraigned and is due back in court later this month for a pretrial conference. His case is being investigated by the Insurance Fraud Bureau of Massachusetts (IFB).
Source: Belmont man facing fraud charges in Bay State, Citizen.com, June 23, 2010
]]> Our Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyers can answer your legal questions regarding workers’ compensation, construction accidents, and personal injury. ]]>OSHA records show that the company has been fined or paid settlements of more than $20,000 in the past six years. In 2009 alone, OSHA cited Massachusetts masonry and stone contractors in 42 separate incidents. Safety violations by this particular contractor include lack of safety training and failure to provide the proper fall protection for workers.
The Salem construction accident that occurred on June 15 is still being investigated. So far no blame has been assigned.
Source: Court contractor had 20 OSHA violations, The Salem News, July 1
]]> A Massachusetts construction accident attorney can answer your legal questions if you have been injured on the job. ]]>An administrative judge at the Industrial Accident Reviewing Board had earlier ruled in favor of Liberty Mutual, and the decision upholds that ruling. The carpenter had reportedly bought a workers’ compensation policy from Liberty Mutual in 2001, when Massachusetts sole proprietors could not cover themselves as employees under a workers’ compensation policy.
However, that changed in 2002, when Massachusetts began allowing sole proprietors to buy coverage for themselves as employees through a policy endorsement. Because the carpenter did not request the change to his workers’ compensation policy, the insurance company denied his request for benefits and the Appeals Court upheld that decision.
Source: Liberty Mutual Wins Dismissal of Claim for Injured Mass. Carpenter, ClaimsJournal.com, June 25, 2010
]]> Have you been denied workers’ compensation benefits? Contact our Massachusetts lawyers for a free initial consultation. ]]>Firefighters from a nearby city responded to the construction accident.
The unidentified construction accident victim suffered a laceration and bruises on one leg. He was taken to a local elementary school, where he was airlifted to the hospital. A spokesperson for the college said the sub-contractor’s injuries were non-life-threatening.
Source: Worker at W&M hurt by falling pipe, The Virginia Gazette, June 25, 2010
]]> Contact our Boston construction accident lawyers if you have been injured on the premises of a construction work site. ]]>The attorney says he already filed a proposed class action lawsuit against FedEx in 2008, but he’s waiting for a judge to decide on that class action request.
He’s also filing a series of individual lawsuits so that the former multi-route FedEx Ground drivers don’t miss out due to statues of limitations. Two Boston lawyers are apparently representing single-route drivers in other cases.
Source: Former FedEx driver from Brockton sues over being classified as an independent contractor, Patriot Ledger, June 22, 2010
]]> Our Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyers can assist you in recovering lost wages and other benefits following a workplace illness or injury. ]]>That’s why Westfield firefighters and firefighters from Holyoke, Pittsfield, and Boston are learning how to save someone who’s been buried alive. Trench rescues require different equipment and expertise from fires and other types of accidents. Often, it can take four to six hours compared to the hour and a half that it might take to put out a fire.
It can also be dangerous for the rescuers, because of the risk of unstable ground. Fire officials remind the public that bystanders should not rush in and help at a construction accident, because they could get injured themselves.
Source: Danger in the Trenches, CBS 3 Springfield News, June 9, 2010
]]> Contact our Massachusetts construction accident attorneys for a free initial case evaluation. ]]>The accident occurred at 9:37am on Tuesday and reportedly caused serious injuries to both of the worker’s legs and one of his arms. When emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident, they found broken chunks of the panel scattered around the victim, a Stoneham resident.
He was transported by ambulance to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. OSHA is investigating the construction accident.
Source: Court project worker hurt as 500 pounds of rock falls, Gloucester Times, June 15, 2010
]]> Contact our Massachusetts construction accident lawyers for a free initial case evaluation if you have been injured by falling panels, an explosion, or other construction hazards. ]]>These issues led to the issuing of two willful citations with $140,000 in proposed fines. According to an OSHA area director, the company’s failure to inspect and test the ammonia piping system exposes workers to potential ammonia leaks or similarly hazardous incidents.
In addition to the willful citations, OSHA also discovered that the plant failed to label and identify piping systems, provide workers with hand protection, and perform other safety-related tasks. As a result, the company received nine serious citations with a total of $44,500 in fines.
The company also received one repeat citation for not properly calibrating equipment that inspects and tests compressors and cryolators. That citation carried a proposed fine of $25,000. OSHA discovered an identical hazard at the company’s Danvers, Massachusetts plant last year. An incomplete or inadequate illness and injury log led to five other-than-serious citations with $5,000 in fines for a total of $214,500 in proposed fines.
Source: Seafood processor fined USD 214,500 for violations, FIS.com, June 3, 2010
]]> Contact a Massachusetts workplace injury attorney if you have been injured on the job. ]]>The large slab was dislodged while crews performed maintenance work of the ceiling of an underground parking garage. The construction accident occurred on the lowest floor of a three-level garage in New York City’s Upper Eat Side.
The injured worker was taken to a local hospital. Fire and police officials at the scene of the construction accident said his injuries were non-life-threatening.
Source: Worker Injured in Upper East Side Construction Accident, DNAInfo.com, June 7, 2010
]]> Have you been injured by falling equipment or other hazards? Our Massachusetts personal injury attorneys handle cases throughout the Bay State. ]]>