September 7, 2023

Work-Related Death Rate Reaches 5-Year High

American workplaces have seen a concerning increase in on-the-job deaths, according to a news release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A total of 5,190 people in the United States died from job-related injury in 2021 — the equivalent of one worker every 101 minutes. With 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time workers, this marked the highest annual fatal work injury rate since 2016.

This troubling trend serves as a stark reminder of the risks that many American workers face on a daily basis. From construction sites to underground mines, dangerous workplaces can lead to fatal accidents that leave families devastated and struggling to cope.

Leading Causes of Workplace Deaths

June 22, 2023

Report Finds MA Workers Dying in Alarming Numbers

by Altman & Altman

Dangerous jobs continued to hurt and kill workers in “alarming numbers” last year, according to a report by the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. Specifically, the report found that 51 workers suffered job-related fatalities in 2022. Although this represented a drop from the Commonwealth’s 62 workplace deaths in 2021, the report noted that many such fatalities are preventable.

Workplace Injuries and Deaths in Massachusetts

Published in April, the report showed that 39 workers died of traumatic work injuries and 12 died of work-related disease in 2022. The true numbers may be much higher, however, because the data does not include all people who died after contracting COVID on the job. In addition, injuries and illnesses are not always reported or properly recorded.

March 9, 2023

Werner Ladder Accident Injuries

by Altman & Altman

Every year in the United States, over 100 people die and thousands more suffer injuries in ladder-related falls. While some accidents result from improper usage, others happen when the ladders themselves are defective. Even when you buy well-known brands at major retailers, products can sometimes have design flaws or manufacturing defects.

In 2018, U.S. company Werner Co. recalled about 78,000 aluminum telescoping ladders after receiving a report that the ladders can break while in use, posing fall and injury hazards. The recall affected five models of ladders sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s stores nationwide in April and May of that year.

If you have a recalled Werner ladder as posted on the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) website, immediately stop using it and return it to the store of purchase for a refund. If you were hurt while using a recalled Werner model or any brand of defective ladder, a personal injury attorney can help evaluate whether you qualify for financial compensation for your injuries.

August 15, 2022

Miter Saws Recalled Due to Injury Hazard

by Altman & Altman

On August 4, 2022, DeWALT Industrial Tool Company recalled nearly 1.4 million miter saws after receiving nine reports of laceration injuries. The rear safety guard on the power saw can break or come off, exposing the user and bystanders to potential injury from projectiles. In addition, without the protection of the safety guard, the user could suffer serious wounds by coming into direct contact with the spinning saw blade. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the miter saws were sold by numerous retailers, including Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Amazon, and hardware stores nationwide.

Miter Saw Recall Details

Including the nine reports of laceration injuries, DeWALT received a total of 571 reports of the rear safety guard assembly or components breaking or detaching. Below are the details of the DeWALT miter saw recall as listed on the CPSC website:

February 7, 2018

Faulty Railings Can Lead to Falls and Catastrophic Injuries

by Altman & Altman

High-level falls can occur from any multi-story building, but when a building has old or broken railings on balconies or stairwells, the risk is particularly high. And high-level falls commonly result in serious injuries, including traumatic brain and spinal injuries.

Railings are generally anchored to a building to keep them in place, but railing systems can loosen over time, increasing the risk of failure. Without proper maintenance and regular inspections, old railings – which provide a false sense of security – can be deadly. A Boston personal injury lawyer can help you determine how to proceed if you’ve been injured due to another’s negligence.

Defective Design

In some cases, railings are obviously old and worn, but even a railing that appears intact may be faulty or defective. And railings don’t need to be loose to fail; when a person falls through or over a railing because of poor design, they can be just as seriously injured. A little boy fell through a space in the railings of a Virginia hotel balcony in 2013, suffering a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He was awarded $10.9 million in damages.

Generally speaking, it is the responsibility of a property owner to ensure that railings are safe if their properties are open to the public. This is also true of homeowners who invite guests onto their property. If Sara decides to have a party on her deck despite the loose, dilapidated railings, for example, she is likely to be liable if someone is injured when the railing fails. If, however, Sara just had a brand new railing installed, and someone is injured because of a design defect, the responsible party may be the designer, manufacturer or retailer.

Is the Railing Up to Code?

Landlords and business owners have an even greater responsibility to ensure that their railings are safe.They have a duty to maintain their property in a safe condition, which includes ensuring that deck, balcony, porch and stairwell railings are properly installed and compliant with local building codes. For example, railings must be a certain height to prevent adults from tripping and children from climbing over, and spaces between slats must be a certain height and width to prevent a child from trapping his or her head between them.

According to the CDC, nearly two million people are seriously injured or die from traumatic brain injuries annually, and many of these are due to falls. In fact, falls are the leading cause of TBIs, accounting for more than 35 percent of the injuries. And many fall injuries are the result of faulty railings or missing handrails in stairwells.

Sadly, the problem doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon. There are an estimated 50 million wooden decks and balconies in the U.S. alone, and the majority are more than 25 years old. A MA personal injury attorney can help you recover damages if you’ve been injured due to another’s negligence. Continue reading

May 23, 2017

Jury Awards $227 Million to Victims of 2013 Wall Collapse

by Altman & Altman

In 2013, an unsecured brick wall collapsed onto a Salvation Army store in 2013, killing seven people and injuring another 12. The tragic incident occurred when the wall, which was located at a demolition site, fell onto the Philadelphia, PA thrift store. Following a 17-week long trial, victims were awarded a total of $227 million, to be divided among the survivors and family members of the deceased. In total, 19 families were affected by this devastating accident.

The demolition site owner, the architect and contractor managing the demolition, and the Salvation Army were all found to be liable for the collapse, and thus the resulting injuries and deaths. The Salvation Army will pay $200 million of the settlement, and the demolition site owner is responsible for the remaining $27 million. A Boston injury lawyer can help you determine how to proceed if another’s negligence has caused you or a loved one harm.

How Will the Settlement be Divided?

In cases where large settlements are divided among multiple recipients, juries decide how much each plaintiff should receive. In some situations, however, parties may agree to divide the award outside of court. That is exactly how the Philadelphia case is being handled; the survivors and families will divide the proceeds in arbitration. This is different from a class action verdict in that every plaintiff must be in agreement with the way the award is to be distributed. In smaller cases, this agreement may be reached with a conversation and a handshake, but with nearly 20 parties involved in the Philadelphia case, an arbitrator is crucial to a fair, friendly, and efficient distribution process.

What is Arbitration?

Arbitration is one form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a process that provides an alternative to going to trial. In arbitration, each individual involved will be asked to sign an agreement that describes what was agreed upon. This effectively means that plaintiffs will not be permitted to appeal the decision, with very few exceptions. Once all parties have agreed to be bound by the agreement, anyone who wishes to receive a portion of the award must submit evidence of their damages to the arbitrator. Following this process, and based on the findings, the arbitrator will divide the damages as deemed appropriate. Although the trial above lasted several years, arbitration is rarely as long. In fact, this case will likely be concluded within a few months.

Disadvantages of Arbitration

In some cases, arbitration can dramatically reduce stress and legal costs. But it’s not always the best course of action. For starters, you have limited recourse following arbitration; if the arbitrator’s award isn’t fair, there is little to nothing you can do to air your grievances in court. Arbitration may also present an uneven playing field, created by the arbitration clauses of large companies, for example. And the process of choosing an arbitrator is rarely an objective one. If you are unsure whether arbitration is right for you, a MA injury lawyer can help you determine how to move forward. Continue reading

February 15, 2017

The Shocking Frequency of Gas Line Accidents in MA

by Altman & Altman

Every year in Massachusetts, hundreds of gas line accidents are caused by contractors, construction workers, and utility companies. In addition to being extremely dangerous, these accidents are costly and can lead to closed roads and other problems. In 2015, an explosion in Springfield injured 18 people and damaged 42 buildings when a utility worker accidentally hit a high-pressure gas line. Unfortunately, these accidents occur with relative frequency. Although most incidents are contained, larger explosions can result in serious injuries and fatalities.

WWLP 22News launched an investigation into these accidents, reviewing state records and interviewing contractors and utility companies. The findings were shocking – between November 2012 and December 2015, a total of 1,434 gas line accidents were reported. That’s an average of more than one accident per day. Outside of Boston, Springfield and Chicopee had the highest reported number of accidents, with Springfield registering 48 and Chicopee registering 50. “There’s so many roads in Chicopee that are under construction, and more work being done, there’s more of an inherent chance that something might get hit,” said Mark Galerneau, Chicopee’s Fire Captain, “If the contractor is doing their due diligence and do what they’re supposed to do I think they can minimize the problems.”

The problem is, employers don’t always do their due diligence, and workers can suffer the consequences. If you have been injured due to employer negligence, it is in your best interest to consult with a MA work injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries.

Hundreds of Violations Discovered

According to state records, adequate precautions were not taken in 522 of the reported gas line accidents, and the lines were incorrectly marked or not properly maintained in 413 of the accidents. And in many cases, Dig Safe was never called. Dig Safe is a communication network that exists to notify utility companies when excavation work will be performed near their installations, and state law requires that individuals and companies performing excavations call Dig Safe prior to beginning work. Although Dig Safe training is not mandatory, following established laws is. Fines for violating these laws include:

First offense: $1,000
Second or subsequent offenses within a 12-month period: $5,000 to $10,000

Follow OSHA Regulations to Avoid Gas Line Explosions

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has established excavation requirements to protect workers from accidentally causing damage to underground gas lines. Prior to beginning any type of excavation, workers should:

Establish the location of underground gas lines.
Contact appropriate utility companies or property owners to establish exact location of underground gas lines.
If utility companies or property owners do not respond to the request within 24 hours, workers may proceed with caution with the assistance of detection equipment.
Use a safe and acceptable method to determine the exact location of gas lines.
When the gas line is located, it should be protected, supported, or removed as deemed necessary for the protection of workers and the local area.

December 6, 2016

Event company shuts down after tent collapse in NH kills two

by Altman & Altman

A Florida-based event company, Walker International Events, has momentarily ceased all of its business and has been fined $24,000 by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) after an investigation revealed multiple safety failures led to two deaths and multiple injuries when a tent collapsed in New Hampshire during a circus act in August of 2015. In total, there were 14 total serious violations of workplace safety that were found as a result of the OSHA investigation. Primarily, the company most egregiously decided to go forward with their outdoor circus act, despite imminent and well-established thunder storms raging through the area.

The storm ultimately played a large role in the tent’s collapse, as did the company’s failure to properly set up the tent to adhere to OSHA’s workplace safety standards.

The fine and subsequent closing of the company (pending the creation of new safety regulations and standards) will do nothing to console those affected by the tragedy that claimed the lives of a child and their father and injured dozens more onlookers.

OSHA regulations exist to prevent these tragedies

No matter how unconventional or unexpected the setting, workers in America are put into dangerous situations every day, including circus workers and performers. These workers are all supposed to be properly protected by their employers, who are responsible for adhering to safety standards that ensure the workplace is as hazard-free as possible. By choosing to ignore severe weather warnings and not properly constructing their tent, Walker International Events is complicit in the two deaths and dozens of injuries that resulted as a result of their negligence. In addition to the immediate implications this has for them financially and for their business, they will be liable for civil lawsuits from those affected by the incident as well.

All employers must take great care to not put their employees, or any civilians such as those coming to see a circus show, into any undue risk of injury or death. Failure to ensure this safety is simply unacceptable, and Walker International Events is learning that the hard way. Continue reading

November 23, 2016

OSHA Cites Contractor with Multiple Safety Violations Following Inspection

by Altman & Altman

Following an inspection by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a Wolcott, Connecticut contractor has been cited for multiple safety violations. When inspectors drove by a work site at 55 Rodgers Lane on May 4, 2016, they observed workers on the property’s roof, without proper fall protection gear. Although they were wearing safety harnesses, the harnesses were not connected to any type of anchor. The inspectors instructed the foreman to remedy the issue, and the workers immediately anchored their harnesses.

During a follow up visit two days later, and another on May 12, inspectors again found workers atop a roof with unanchored safety harnesses. An unanchored harness can actually be more dangerous than no harness at all; it provides a false sense of protection. “This employer exposed its employees deliberately to potentially deadly or disabling falls on multiple occasions, and has a history of fall-related violations at job sites in Connecticut. This is unacceptable,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA’s local director. “Falls are the leading cause of death in construction work. That won’t change unless employers take seriously their responsibility to provide safe working conditions for their employees.”

OSHA cited M&M Roofing for multiple violations, including:

A willful violation for inadequate fall protection.
Failure to properly train employees on fall hazards.
Improper ladders for the job; for purposes of stability, ladders must extend a minimum of three feet above the next level. The contractor’s ladders did not.
Open, unguarded holes in the roof. In 2013 and 2014, OSHA cited M&M Roofing for similar violations at Manchester and Watertown work sites.
Failure to provide adequate ladder safety training for workers.
Failure to provide adequate eye and face protection for certain workers, specifically those who use pneumatic nail guns and a leaf blower.

For the above violations, OSHA proposed fines totalling $185,194.

Falls – Number One Cause of Construction-Related Fatalities

Of the 899 construction-related fatalities in 2014, 345 were due to falls. In every one of these cases, the death was preventable. OSHA’s “Fall Prevention Campaign” is a great resource for how to prevent serious injuries and deaths due to falls. The campaign includes three main points:

Plan ahead: Before the start of any project, employers must determine how the job will be accomplished, what tasks will be involved, and what safety gear and equipment is needed for each task. Cost estimates should include safety equipment.
Provide appropriate gear and equipment: Every job requires different equipment. For example, ladders must extend at least three feet about the next level. Some jobs require scaffolds, some do not. Rooftop workers should use personal fall arrest systems (PFAS), but it’s equally important to make sure the harness fits, is in good working order, and is always anchored.
Train workers on safe use of equipment: The best safety equipment in the world is useless if the user doesn’t know how it works. Workers should be trained in proper set up and use of all equipment, including ladders and scaffolds, and fall protection systems.

If you are concerned about unsafe working conditions at your place of employment, you can contact OSHA on their toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA. If you have been injured in a work-related accident, contact a MA work injury lawyer today. Continue reading

November 21, 2016

Duxbury Worker Killed at New Home Site on Saturday

by Altman & Altman

A tragic accident in Duxbury on Saturday left a 28-year-old man dead. Jason Sanderson, of Carver, was using a chop saw when the saw kicked back, striking him in the neck. Sanderson was rushed to the hospital with a severe neck wound, an injury that later proved fatal. Sanderson died at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth. Sanderson and another worker were excavating an underground water line during the construction of a new home at 900 Tremont Street. In a statement, Duxbury Police Sergeant Dennis Symonds, said the accident occurred around 2 p.m. on Saturday.

According to investigators, the chop saw Sanderson was using “became bound”, then popped back, making contact with his throat. The company Sanderson was working for has not been released. The incident is currently under investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Duxbury Police Department. No foul play is suspected. If you’ve been injured in a work-related accident, contact a MA work injury lawyer today.

Common Causes of Construction Injuries and Death