Articles Posted in Workers’ Compensation

Industrial work can be dangerous. The exposure to toxic elements and potentially deadly equipment can leave workers open to a workplace injury. Maryland residents who are employed in the industrial or construction field have workers’ compensation insurance benefits available to them should they be injured while on the job. If the injury result in a fatality, the victim’s family is typically entitled to survivors’ benefits under the same state-regulated insurance system.

Firefighters and local police were called to the scene of a family owned meat packing company around 3:35 p.m. on Thursday, June 22. Two employees became unresponsive while working in a sewer pit, and had to be retrieved by firefighters. The men were cousins.

The 40-year-old male worker was pronounced dead at the scene. The other worker was airlifted to a local hospital and remains in critical condition. An autopsy, performed by the county coroner, reported the cause of death to be asphyxia due to drowning. Findings indicate high levels of inhaled hydrogen sulfide gas, which can lead to toxic levels and is believed to be the cause of death. Local authorities and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration continue to investigate.

Keeping employees safe while on the job is paramount to owning and operating a successful business. Maryland employers are expected and required by law to carry workers’ compensation coverage on all of their employees. This coverage protects workers in the event that an on-the-job accident or illness should occur. This program provides monetary benefits to help keep the families and the worker with a form of income to sustain them while the injured are not able to work. When an owner does not comply, those who are employed by them are at jeopardy.

A business owner in another state has recently been indicted for workers’ compensation fraud after apparently failing to pay premiums. Authorities allege that the 48-year-old man did, in fact, carry coverage but made a substantial amount of claims, which resulted in his premiums increasing drastically. Investigators then discovered that the owner had created a second company, and only used what he referred to as subcontractors to work at the larger job locations.

After an earlier investigation, authorities found that a second company was set up by the owner to hide the employees of the original company so the employer could avoid paying the insurance premiums. Records indicate that the first company has employed workers who earned income on a yearly bases since 2006. During this time period, it has been estimated that the 48-year-old has avoided paying over $66,000 in workers’ compensation premiums.

Every day, thousands of Maryland men and women leave their homes to head to work. The job is oftentimes one that is repetitive, as it has become second nature to many. With one becoming complacent, the possibility of workplace injuries, especially in the construction field, can increase. When employees suffer injuries while performing work-related tasks, workers’ compensation is a benefit that many will utilize to help see their families through the financial challenges that will most likely follow from the inability to work due to the injury.

A 44-year-old female construction worker was leveling a field in another state when she was fatally injured. Reportedly, her co-worker was moving an 18-ton bulldozer to adjust its position when she was struck. The incident occurred on April 14, 2017 around 1 p.m.

The victim was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy later revealed blunt force trauma as the cause of death. The incident was reported to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and no criminal activity or intent is believed to be a culprit.

Over the last century, safety in the work place has improved dramatically. In the state of Maryland and across the country, employers have gone to great lengths to keep employees safe and employees have come to trust that their employers will adhere to the guidelines. Even with the best laid plans and statues in place, accidents can and still occur. Workers’ compensation insurance, which is required to be provided by the employer for their employees, is in place to help families when the unimaginable happens.

A construction worker in another state was killed on March 20, 2017. Authorities were called to the scene around 11:30 a.m. The worker was disassembling a part that is used with concrete when the outer section fell off its rail. The worker fell when the screed fell.

OSHA confirmed the fatal accident on March 23, 2017, and decided to open an official investigation regarding the construction company. The focus of the investigation will be on workplace safety and protocols. OSHA will also determine if any safety statues have been violated. The investigation could take up to six months to complete.

Maryland workers and their employers understand the importance of having a safe work environment. Safety on the job requires guidelines and procedures to ensure that employees are safe and the workplace free of predictable dangers. When an unexpected work-related injury or death occurs, victims and their families are typically covered under the workers’ compensation insurance program. A recent workplace explosion left one man fatally injured and a male co-worker seriously wounded.

The explosion occurred around 1 p.m. on March 7, 2017 in another state at a business that heat treats metal parts at its location. Two men were working to repair a furnace leak. It is reported that the door to the furnace seemed to explode. There was no fire and the blast is what appears to have injured one employee and killed the other.

The surviving employee was transported to a local hospital. He is believed to have suffered serious injuries. Reportedly, the victim is stable.

Many cities in the country, including those in Maryland, make an effort to beautify their community. While many enjoy such efforts, which can include landscaping a median, it is easy to overlook the potential hazards the workers who create and maintain such endeavors may face. For example, one out-of-state man was recently killed while maintaining landscaping. His family may be entitled to workers’ compensation death benefits as a result.

Reports indicate that the 60-year-old man was maintaining the landscaping in a median one morning in early February. Meanwhile, the 25 year-old driver of a flatbed truck containing a load of steel pipe was driving toward him. Unfortunately, the load of pipe shifted, sending one airborne.

The landscaper was reportedly struck by the pipe, severing his leg. Although he was transported to an area hospital for treatment, he reportedly died from the injuries he suffered. Police do not believe that alcohol contributed to the accident but are asking for anyone with additional information to contact them.

Millions of workers in this country report to work each day in order to support themselves and their families. While the vast majority of employers in Maryland go to great lengths to ensure that their employees are safe as they complete their work responsibilities, accidents still happen. These accidents can result in medical bills and lost wages. As a result, employers are required to provide workers’ compensation coverage to their employees in the event of a workplace accident. One out-of-state family may qualify for such benefits after a fatal accident took the life of its loved one.

Reports indicate that a 36-year-old man was working at Baucom Services. The man had been an employee of the repair shop for approximately four years. Just before noon one morning in January, rescue workers received a call about an accident in which he was involved.

The employee had reportedly been working in a grain silo when he fell. Although his co-workers attempted a rescue, they were unable to save him. Unfortunately, the man suffocated as a result of the accident.

Accidents can happen at any point in time. However, employers in Maryland often go to extreme measures in order to ensure that their employees are safe while completing their job responsibilities. Despite these measures, accidents still happen, potentially placing employees and their families in a precarious financial situation. One out-of-state man suffering from a worker injury may face such a situation after being involved in a serious accident.

The details of the accident are unclear. However, reports indicate that an employee of Apex Pipeline Services was injured after he was pinned by an excavator. The man has reportedly undergone several surgeries already, but more are expected. A spokesperson for the family has said that he is currently in the intensive care unit.

Accidents such as this typically result in an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). If OSHA determines that health and safety standards were violated leading up to the accident, the company could face citations and/or fines. However, future employees could be protected from similar incidents based on the organization’s findings.

Workplace conditions have improved considerably over the course of the last century. These improvements may be due in part to organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that work to ensure all employers meet specific safety standards, for example. Unfortunately, accidents are still possible, prompting states such as Maryland to require employers to provide workers’ compensation benefits for those injured or killed while on-the-job. The family of one out-of-state man will likely qualify for these benefits after he was killed at work.

The incident occurred one afternoon in mid-October. Reports indicate that the 33-year-old man was an employee at Cohen Recycling Center, but the site is owned by Metal Shredders Inc. He was apparently helping a crew of employees work on one of the company’s electrical transformer substations. Unfortunately, he apparently touched live wires that had over 1,000 volts.

Representatives for OSHA are at the scene in Ohio, likely working to determine if there were any health or safety standards violated leading up to the accident. While there have been no violations against Cohen, there have been against Metal Shredders. However, representatives say the previous violations are unrelated to this incident.

Those who drive a tractor-trailer for a living likely know of the potential for being involved in an accident due to the hours spent traveling the country’s roadways. However, there are other risks to tractor-trailer drivers, even when not driving. As in all professions, workers involved in a workplace accident in Maryland and across the country are likely entitled to workers’ compensation. The family of one out-of-state man will likely qualify for these benefits after a fatal accident.

The accident happened at approximately 2:30 p.m. one afternoon in early October. According to records, a tractor-trailer was found on its side with its driver still inside. The driver had apparently been unloading the truck’s gravel load when it became unstable and flipped.

The 64-year-old man suffered severe head and face injuries in the accident. Although he was transported to the hospital for treatment, he later died. The accident is currently under investigation by the local sheriff’s office in Florida where the accident took place as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.