Blog

Crane accident not the first for NYC crane owner Bay Crane

Feb 10, 2016

On Friday February 5, a crane collapsed in Lower Manhattan, killing one person and injuring three others. The crane operating company, Galasso Trucking & Rigging, had been lowering the crane to adjust to windy conditions when the crane toppled over. The crane had been inspected by the New York City Department of Buildings the previous day after the operating company had requested to extend the crane to a certain height. While the New York City...

Pennsylvania bridge repair company deemed OSHA “severe violator”

Feb 3, 2016

The Pennsylvania bridge repair company, Susquehanna Supply Company Inc., has been fined $140,000 and placed in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Severe Violator Enforcement Program list for a July 7, 2015 trench collapse on a work site that killed a contractor. The contractor had been working in a deep trench on the site of a small bridge repair job contracted by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation when the trench collapsed, burying him. Susquehanna...

Traumatic brain injury recovery can be unpredictable

Jan 27, 2016

If you or someone you love has suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you may understandably have questions and anxiety about the extent of recovery that may be possible. Unfortunately it's difficult to predict exactly to what extent a person may recover from a serious brain injury. In general, the more serious the injury, the more difficult the recovery will be. A person's age and health before the injury will also affect the degree to...

What are the most dangerous industrial chemicals?

Jan 25, 2016

Industrial chemicals have the potential to cause illness, either from incremental long-term exposure or from a one-time event. Some industrial chemicals are reactive and unstable, meaning they are very flammable and can explode easily, causing burns and other secondary injuries. Other injuries can result when a worker is exposed to a toxic chemical. Whether inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin, these chemicals can cause serious health effects, including cancer and reproductive harm. The kind...

Light snow may be more dangerous to drivers than heavy snowstorms

Jan 21, 2016

Winter brings with it icy and slick conditions that can imperil all drivers on the road. Intuitively, it may seem that heavier snowfalls would cause more dangerous road conditions and reduced visibility that could lead to a greater incidence of accidents and injuries. However, some believe that lighter snowfalls could be even more dangerous to drivers. That's because drivers operating under light snow conditions may not recognize how dangerous the roads have become, and may...

Pennsylvania ahead of national average for body part compensation

Jan 16, 2016

How much can you get for a lost leg? How about an index finger, or even an ear? The answer depends on the state where you live. Each state is allowed by Congress to determine on its own how much workers' compensation benefits pay for workplace accidents that cause amputations. The good news, if there can be such a thing in a workplace amputation scenario, is twofold. First of all, unlike having to prove that...

What if you’re offered a job while collecting wage-loss benefits?

Jan 14, 2016

Receiving workers' compensation benefits, including wage-loss benefits, can be a great relief when you've been injured on the job and are unable to work for a period of time. Having the financial breathing room and access to medical care you need without having to file a personal-injury lawsuit against your employer are some of the very reasons that workers' compensation benefits even exist. But that much-needed respite and recovery can be interrupted if your employer...

CDC confirms Utah nurse as serial hepatitis C infector

Jan 7, 2016

The CDC has now confirmed that the hepatitis C outbreak at McKay-Dee Hospital and Davis Medical Center & Hospital in Utah was caused by Elet Neilson, a healthcare professional who worked for Davis from June 2011 to April 2014 and at McKay-Dee from June 2014 to November 2014. The CDC says at least 7200 people have risked exposure. This case is similar to that of "serial infector" David Kwiatkowski who traveled around the country to...

Coal mining deaths at a record low

Jan 6, 2016

There is good news for people who work in the coal mining industry: on-the-job deaths for coal miners are at a record low. The last week in December the death toll stood at 11, whereas in 2014 there were 16 mining-related fatalities. Three of the deaths occurred in Pennsylvania, the most of any state. Of the deaths that occurred this year, seven happened in underground mines, and four of those were caused by roof or wall collapses...

Civil suit against Pennsylvania driller allowed to resume

Jan 4, 2016

Nearly four years after a fatal accident in Pennsylvania involving a water tanker that rolled down an embankment, killing the driver, a federal appeals court has allowed a civil lawsuit to go forward on behalf of the deceased driver's estate and his wife. At issue in the case is the question of whether a natural gas drilling company had been negligent in failing to install appropriate signage and lights to guide truckers to the work...