A worker subcontracted to work on a $230 million improvement project of the Rainbow Dam in Great Falls, Montana was killed in a tragic construction accident earlier this month.

On September 7th around 8 AM, a 44-year old man was walking between two large trucks.  As the trucks were passing each other they crushed the man.  Emergency medical services officials transported the victim to Benefits Health Systems where he later passed away due to major internal injuries.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating the accident.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family and friends during this difficult time.

Monday morning, a fatal construction accident occurred at Yale University where construction workers are working on building a chiller power plant to create steam and cold water for the heating and cooling systems across the university.

The accident occurred when a steel I-beam fell on top of workers.  Witnesses say the beam fell from about 30 feet in the air, hit the left side of the mechanical lift, and fell to the ground.  Officials are currently unsure of what caused the beam to collapse.

Two of the injured workers were operating the mechanical lift at the time of the accident and investigators are unsure of whether or not the other two injured were elevated near the beam, or on the ground.  The injured workers suffered serious injuries however they are said to be “conscious and alert”.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the man lost in this tragic accident.

Two employees of a pyrotechnics company used at the PNC Field in Moosic, Pennsylvania to produce fireworks displays were injured this past Friday evening.  The workers were putting on a fireworks show after the Scraton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees minor league baseball game when the accident occurred.

Officials have not released the workers’ names, conditions, or injuries, however, a family member of one of the workers told reporters that they were in stable condition.  Investigators are looking into what caused the accident that left the two workers injured.

If you or someone you love has been injured on the job, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.

A New York woman’s arm was severed in a terrible workplace accident last Friday afternoon at Brand Packaging Group Inc..  37-year-old Beatriz Blas of Wyandanch was using a packing machine when her arm got stuck in the machine.  Blas screamed and a coworker quickly came and freed her from the machine and picked up her severed arm.

Emergency officials airlifted Blas to Nassau University Medical Center to be treated.  Blas was later transferred to Stony Brook University Medical Center where doctors are trying to reattach her arm.  Authorities say she is in stable condition.

Witnesses to the accident and company officials were unsure as to how Blas’ arm became stuck in the machine.  The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the accident.

One construction worker was killed and others were injured in a workplace accident while working for the Sewickley Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The accident occurred in the afternoon on July 28th when 31-year old Jack Hogan of Baden was working in a 30 foot deep hole.  Baden tried to climb out but fell backwards back down into the hole.  Hogan began to feel faint and radioed for help.  The plant supervisor, an inspector for the borough’s engineering firm, and a construction worker responded to his call for help.  All three say they were overcome by the fumes coming from the hole Hogan was trapped in.

Shawn Haynes, one of the rescuers, stated, “As soon as I got down in there I tapped one of the other guys that came down on the back, said I wasn’t feeling so well and that’s all I remember.  They said I dropped like a ton of bricks”.  Another rescuer was overcome by the gas and fell twenty feet.  The two other men then also became sick from the gas and fell down the hole on top of him.

All four men were rushed to Allegheny General Hospital for injuries.  Haynes was released later that night and Hogan later passed away at the hospital.

Investigators detected a small amount of methane gas when they arrived at the scene of the accident.  They are now trying to determine if the methane was what killed Hogan and injured the other men.

Yesterday, Nike Inc. announced their plans to pay $1.54 million in workers’ compensation to over 1,500 Honduran workers who were suddenly laid off last year when the Choloma and San Pedro Sula factories were shut down without notice.  Under Honduras law, the workers were owed $2.6 million in severance after the factories closed.

Nike has consistently refused to offer severance payments, but gave in to pressure from anti-sweatshop student and university groups to pay the workers’ compensation relief.  The money will be distributed between the laid off workers based on length of service and workers’ earnings.  They have also offered to cover the costs of enrolling the workers in Honduras’ national health care program for one year, provide job training, and give priority to the laid off workers at positions at nearby factories.

While some are praising Nike for its willingness to provide workers’ compensation, many still believe the workers are owed millions in severance payments.

If you or someone you love is seeking workers’ compensation, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.

Yesterday, President Obama signed an order to have federal agencies improve workplace safety standards by 2014.

The four year plan asks federal agencies to improve workplace safety in order to reduce the number of claims made a year by federal employees, as well as the number of federal dollars spent a year on workers’ compensation.  In 2009, 79,000 new claims were filed by federal employees and over $1.6 billion was spent by the federal government on workers’ compensation.

“Many of these work-related injuries and illnesses are preventable, and executive departments and agencies can and should do even more to improve workplace safety and health, reduce the financial burden of injury on taxpayers, and relieve unnecessary suffering by workers and their families,” stated Obama.

If you or someone you love has been injured or become ill on the job, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.

Previously, the Veterans Administration required veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder to provide documentation that they served on the front lines or were involved in a stressful event.   Also, while all veterans could be treated for PTSD, requirements limited those who could receive disability benefits.

However, last week, the VA altered its disability benefits regulations so that now veterans only need to provide documentation of serving in a war zone and an honorable discharge.

Officials say that war zones have changed, with unidentifiable “hot zones” endangering many, as opposed to a having a clear front line. “That’s what is different about these wars.   You could be a cook or a driver and be exposed to a violent situation,” stated veteran Josh Callahan of the Boise VA Medical Center.

If you or someone you love suffers from PTSD or another disability, contact the Philadelphia short-term disability attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.

Last month, two workers at the Ultra Resources natural gas well in Gaines Township, Pennsylvania were involved in a workplace accident after equipment malfunctioned.

The workers were airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital for head injury and broken ribs.  One of the workers was hit in the head by a piece of metal, leaving skull lacerations and knocking him out.  The other worker suffered broken ribs.

A pipe coupling that separated was suspected as the cause of the accident that injured the two workers.  The Department of Environmental Protection’s North Central region director stated, “The cause of the blow-out was probably excessive pressure in the hammer union, but really the question will be was whether the union was installed properly or if the failure was due to a manufacturing defect”.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a workplace accident, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.

Injured workers may be able to receive workers’ compensation for many work-related injuries. However, they typically cannot receive benefits for injuries incurred while employees are on breaks, such as lunch breaks.

According to Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law, employees typically cannot receive workers’ compensation benefits for any personal time taken during the work day.

If you or anyone you know has questions about workers’ compensation benefits, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., at 215-238-1130.