Industrial fatalities alarm the citizens of Los Angeles

May 10, 2013

Industrial fatalities alarm the citizens of Los Angeles

Article provided by Biren Katzman Trial Lawyers
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If recent industrial injuries and fatalities in workplaces around Los Angeles are any indication, punching in on the job is one of the riskiest activities imaginable. While workplace hazards are by no means a new phenomenon, the possibility of being seriously injured or even die on the job remains a 21st century reality in spite of state and federal regulation designed to mitigate the dangers of industrial work.

Worker killed by snapped industrial cable

On November 12, 2012, at the Oldcastle Precast plant in Fontana, California, a high-tension cable snapped, killing one worker instantly. Another suffered a severe lower-leg injury but survived after being taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Ironically, the high-tension cables themselves were in place as a safety measure to support large concrete pillars that could have been devastating had they fallen. It is important to note that the accident occurred despite the industrial plant's increasingly good track record of reducing accidents and fatalities among its workforce. That this accident happened at a plant that seemed to be doing things right highlights the need to be constantly on guard against what seems to be a certain degree of unavoidable risk.

Worker killed in a pressure cooker at Bumble Bee Foods

The death of a worker in an industrial pressure cooker at Bumble Bee Foods processing plant in Santa Fe Springs, California, is an even more disturbing story. The worker, a 6-year veteran at the plant, was well-versed with the machinery he was operating, which was operating a 38-foot-long cylindrical chamber designed to sterilize baskets of sealed cans before heading to the final labeling stage, when he died. While the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the death -- questions remain about how he fell into the cylinder -- the Whittier Police Department has ruled out foul play. As this incident illustrates, a worker's experience with a piece of equipment and the guidelines and safety measures implemented by the employer does not guarantee safety.

When to consult a personal injury attorney

If you lost a loved one or were seriously injured in a workplace accident and cannot work as a result, you will need compensation to help with medical costs and living expenses. Because the accident occured on the job worker's compensation benefits are available. An experienced personal injury attorney who specializes in and has a proven track record of handling significant injury industrial accident cases can evaluate whether third parties (other than your employer) caused the accident and, if so, represent you in a civil suit against them that could produce benefits substantially in excess of those available under the worker's compensation system.