Articles Posted in Workers’ Compensation

There are millions of people in Maryland and across the country who simply want to support their family by earning a paycheck. They report to their shift at work and do their utmost to perform their job responsibilities to the best of their abilities. Unfortunately, regardless of the safety precautions an employee may take to ensure his or her personal safety as well as the safety of those around them, serious workplace accidents still happen. Fortunately, there are experienced attorneys in Maryland who can help with workers’ compensation claims.

Some people who have been injured at work know of the headache that the process can be. Employers might oppose the claim, and there may be hearings to prepare for and attend. Even if approved, the process may seem arduous and confusing.

Fortunately, the attorneys at Joel L. Katz, LLC can help. We have experience with all types of worker’s compensation claims, including those involving repetitive motion injuries, exposure to chemicals, accidents occurring to contractors in a war zone and injuries occurring while traveling on-the-job, among others. Additionally, we are well-versed in workplace injury related laws such as the Longshore Harbor Workers Act and the Jones Act, helping us pursue the maximum compensation for your specific circumstances.

The Chesapeake Bay is an important part of life in Maryland. It provides recreation and employment for many people in the state. Unfortunately, people have suffered from work-related injuries or even death as they performed their job duties while working on the waterways in Maryland. These people, or their loved ones in the event of a fatality, may qualify for insurance protection as required by the Longshore Harbor Workers Act.

The act protects people who are injured or killed while working on the country’s waterways or docks, for example. The act currently provides benefits for approximately 500,000 workers. The benefits provided under this act can also extend to dependent family members in the event of a fatality.

The insurance coverage required by the act can provide compensation for a variety of expenses, including medical bills and a portion of lost wages. In the case of a fatality, it can cover funeral expenses and support for children and other dependents until the age of 18. These benefits can extend past the age of 18 if the dependent is not able to support himself or herself or is a student.

Many jobs have obvious dangers associated with them. Some of these dangers may be from performing the same actions over and over again. Some may be from dealing with chemicals or other substances as part of day-to-day job responsibilities. However, even jobs that may seem relatively safe may result in a fatal, unexpected workplace accident. If such an event occurs, the workers’ compensation benefits that Maryland employers are required to provide for their employees may extend to the employee’s surviving family members.

One family may be seeking these benefits after a workplace accident resulted in the death of their loved one. Reports indicate that the accident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. in early July. The man was working at Canam Steel.

Police were called to the scene after a spool of metal that the 38-year-old employee was apparently attempting to load came loose and fell on him. The man, unfortunately, died at the scene. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will likely launch an investigation into the incident to determine if any health or safety standards were violated. If any violations are found, the company could receive a citation and a fine.

Many people in Maryland have tuned into the phenomenon of reality television. While each show may have its own unique format, many reality-based shows require contestants to undergo hardships that seem impossible to the average person, making many of the participants seem almost invincible. Unfortunately, the family of Caleb Bankston, a former contestant on one of these shows, is now grieving after his death in a workplace accident. Fortunately, his family may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits to help with the costs associated with his death.

Some reports indicate that Bankston, who was 26 years old, was an employee for the railway. He worked as a locomotive engineer and conductor. He was apparently at work in late June when a derailment occurred. He was killed when the train derailed.

At this time, it is unclear what caused the derailment that took the life of the Alabama Warrior Railway employee. In most workplace fatalities, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will conduct an investigation to determine if any violations of health or safety standards may have contributed to the accident. The Federal Railroad Administration has also been contacted.

People in Maryland know that the injury or death of a community member has a long-lasting impact on the community as a whole. In this sense, they can likely sympathize with one out-of-state town that is likely reeling from two separate workplace accidents that resulted in an injury and a fatality. Apart from the community support received, the man suffering a worker injury and the family of the deceased man will likely require workers’ compensation benefits to cope with the financial consequences of the accidents.

The first accident happened at a trash hauling company on the last Thursday in May, just before 7 a.m. Reports indicate that the 31-year-old victim was struck in the head by a piece of machinery that came loose from a large piece of equipment. He died at the scene.

The second accident that struck the New Jersey town happened just a few days later. A man was working for a company that was hired to dig a hole for a septic system. Steel walls had been erected to protect the hole from falling dirt. Unfortunately, one of the walls collapsed, pinning the man’s leg. The man’s leg was crushed, but he is expected to survive.

There are many safeguards in place to protect workers in this country. In addition to laws assuring fair and equal treatment, there are standards in place to help prevent dangerous industrial accidents that could lead to serious injury or death. Because accidents could still occur despite these standards, states such as Maryland put additional measures in place, such as workers’ compensation benefits, to help victims of a worker injury. Two out-of-state workers will likely benefit from this coverage after a scary accident left them both with burns.

The accident occurred at Kobe Aluminum in April. Officials indicate that they received a call in the afternoon describing an explosion at the plant, While first responders did not find a fire when they arrived, they did find two men with burn injuries despite the required personal protective equipment they had been wearing. Both men were flown to a hospital for treatment. One has since been released while the other remains hospitalized in stable condition.

A representative for the company explains that the incident was likely not an explosion but a rapid expansion of molten aluminum that caused its container to pop. However, the incident is under investigation. Such investigations have the potential of preventing similar accidents in the future.

A person who deals with convicted criminals on a daily basis knows that his or her life may be in jeopardy as a result of their occupation. However, a former Maryland warden was killed in an out-of-state workplace accident after he resigned his position as warden and was working in a position that many would assume is safer. As a result of the accident, his family may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

The accident occurred one morning in early April. The man was installing electric services at an empty warehouse for AET Electric. Reports indicate that the man became trapped between a pole and a forklift.

Although he was transported to an area hospital for treatment, he was pronounced dead once he arrived. In most accidents such as this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will conduct an investigation to determine if any safety or health standards were violated leading up to the incident. If violations are discovered, the man’s employer could be issued a fine.

Many people do not realize the serious impact a workplace accident can have on an employee and his or her family. In addition to medical bills, he or she could face lost wages during the period of recovery. In some serious situations, workers are never able to return to work. However, there are financial options available. A worker injury in Maryland will likely cause one man to look into these options as he struggles to recover from a workplace accident.

The 48-year-old man was reportedly repairing a storm drain in Maryland when the accident happened. He was working as an employee of W. L. Gary, a company that deals with mechanical contractors. His thumb was reportedly severed in the afternoon accident.

The man was transported by helicopter to an area hospital for treatment, where his current condition is unknown. The Maryland division of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating the accident. OSHA will determine what health and safety standards, if any, were violated leading up to the accident. If such standards were violated, the company could be ordered to pay a fine. Such an investigation can help prevent a similar accident in the future.

Police officers, firefighters and soldiers know that there is some degree of risk associated with their jobs. Although not the same obvious level of danger, almost all jobs hold some degree of risk of injury or even death. As a result, most employers are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage in the event of an accident. The family of a man employed by a company based in Maryland likely qualifies for such coverage after a fatal workplace accident.

In mid-January in a northeastern state, a 35-year-old employee of Sea Watch International was cleaning a machine that shucks shellfish. Reports indicate that the man became caught in the engine of the machine. The fire department responded.

Police say that the fire department had to dismantle the equipment and worked over an hour to free the man. Unfortunately, he died at the scene. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration initiated an investigation into the incident. OSHA will work to determine if any safety standards were violated leading up to the incident, and, if so, what sanctions may be appropriate.

Almost all jobs involve some degree of risk. Even jobs that are seemingly completely safe could result in the need for treatment for injuries suffered on-the-job. In order to help workers and their families in the event of a workplace accident, states such as Maryland require most employers to provide workers’ compensation benefits. The family of a man who was killed recently while working likely qualifies for such benefits.

The man was killed in late December. According to reports, he was driving a dump truck for Reynolds Excavating. Unfortunately, the truck flipped and fell into a ravine. Although the man was transported to an area hospital for treatment, he died from his injuries.

At this time, it is unclear what caused the accident. However, the incident is being investigated by several organizations, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. If the OSHA determines that safety and health standards were violated in connection with the accident, they could levy fines against the company in an attempt to prevent future violations.