Industrial Accident Lawyer Blog

Georgia Power Lineman Dies

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:41:45 -0500

Kylan Warren, age 25, a Georgia power lineman, succumbed to burn injuries sustained in July after a crew he was working with accidentally drilled into a subsurface gas line while placing utility poles. He suffered burns to 80 percent of his body and was in the Grady burn unit for one month prior to his death.

Workplace safety is a team effort, and involves more than just the efforts of an employer. Contractors, sub-contractors, and utility companies each play a role in maintaining a safe working environment. A sub-surface utility line, such as the one Mr. Warren was working near, should be adequately marked. Not only should the utility accurately mark the sub-surface line, but a representative from the utility (in this case Atlanta Gas Light) should be present at the morning tailgate meeting to ensure the lineman and contractors know where the sub-surface gas line is located and know how to avoid it. The OSHA investigation should reveal AGL's role in Mr. Warren's death and provide guidance on how incidents like his can be avoided in the future.

Georgia Power Lineman Burned In Gas Explosion

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:04:02 -0500

A Georgia Power lineman was severely burned in a Georgia work accident while installing a utility pole in Milton, Georgia. Authorities say 25-year-old Kylan Warren of Acworth was caught in the explosion, and has suffered 80% burns to his entire body. Apparently, a device used to drill the hole for the utility pole struck the gas line, causing the explosion.

Prior to placing utility poles, the gas company is called out to the site to mark the location of the lines, so that when the lineman goes to the jobsite (where he probablly uses a digger derrick such as the one pictured below), he knows where to dig and where not to dig. A lineman is not expected to do anything other than rely on the marks placed by the gas company when setting up his digger derrick and placing the utility pole.

Gas Pipeline Explosion Kills One, Causes Burn Injuries to Another

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:33:43 -0500

One person was killed, and another suffered severe burn injuries, in a recent gas explosion . Jason McCorkle was killed while working on his brother's property after breaching a gas line owned by Dixie Pipeline. The gas line was a 30 year-old propane line. A piece of construction equipment breached the line, causing the gas leak. Mr. McCorkle's father was taken to the Joe Still Burn Center for his burn injuries.

Often, sub-surface (below ground) propane lines and gas lines are either not marked or improperly marked, such that those working around the lines cannot accurately determine where, exactly, the lines are buried or how large the line is. As a result, Georgia workers are left exposed to injury or even death.

Work Injury and Atlanta Workers' Compensation Lawyer: Workers Hurt at Work

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:12:53 -0500

Whether you've been injured in an Atlanta Workers' Compensation event, or whether you have a work injury claim against a third party, an injury on the job is never pleasant.

By way of example, a plant explosion recently occurred at a metal factory when men working with a furnace became engulfed in flames. These types of injuries are ALWAYS preventable if workers are wearing basic PPE and exercising common sense.

When working in hot environments (like a furnace) workers should be wearing fire proof gloves and clothing, which provides adequate PPE redundancies, eliminates skin exposure, and significantly reduces the probability of work injury.

Atlanta Construction Accident Lawsuit Filed

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:14:00 -0500

Construction accident lawsuits have been filed in Atlanta over the work injures sustained in the Botanical Gardens elevated platform collapse. The lawsuits allege that the Botanical Gardens and certain contractors working on the elevated platform, as well as the project architects, were negligent in the design and assembly of the horizontal structural system used on the platform, leading to its collapse. Several construction workers were injured, and those workers filed Atlanta construction accident lawsuits as a result.

Construction Accident Causes Workplace Death

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:53:08 -0500

Philip Soukup, a 35 year-old construction worker, was killed in a construction accident. Mr. Soukup was operating a soil compactor on an embankment when he suddenly fell off the machine. At that point, it rolled over him, killing him instantly. OSHA has begun its investigation, and will be examining whether Mr. Soukup's employer provided rollover protection safety training to it's workers.

Atlanta workers compensation lawyers and construction accident lawyers handle complex factual and legal issues which always exist anytime a work injury occurs.

Work Injuries at U.S. Steel Clairton Plant

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:10:50 -0500

An explosion and fire at the U.S. Steel Plant in Clairton, Pennsylvania has caused numerous burn injuries, according to recent news reports. It appears one of the coke ovens at the Clairton plant exploded. These ovens heat coal at very high temperatures to carbonize it and turn it into fuel used for steel production (called "coke").

This explosion will undoubtedly lead to the need to hire an experienced workers compensation lawyer and also require a cause and origin analysis to determine what caused the explosion and whether it could have been prevented. Often, contractors and other third parties are involved in the cleaning and maintenance coke ovens used for steel production, and those entities could provide a viable avenue for injured workers to file a work injury lawsuit.

Deepwater Horizon: Transocean Rig Explodes, Workers Die.

Mon, 31 May 2010 15:52:28 -0500

Work injuries occur with some frequency at sea. While working on an offshore rig can be dangerous, proper workplace safety mechanisms and procedures can help reduce the frequency of work injury or death.

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon exploded, taking the lives of 11 workers and injuring scores more. The explosion was preventable, was preventable had either Transocean or BP used a blowout preventer----a mandatory safety device which is common. At the time of the explosion, the Deepwater Horizon was two days away from capping the oil well and handing off the pumping responsibilities to a production platform. During the disconnection process, the rig suffered a blowout. The rig's blowout preventer---a 450 ton series of valves developed to prevent a gusher if drilling mud controll is overwhelmed---failed, allowing oil to escape into the Gulf of Mexico.

GA: OSHA Violations and Work Injury

Sun, 30 May 2010 15:22:21 -0500

Georgia work comp lawyers see clients with preventable injuries caused by dangerous working conditions. Often, it is a workers compensation claim or work injury which leads an employer to initiate appropriate workplace safety initiatives.

Recently, in Macon, Georgia, OSHA inspectors were proactive in inspecting the Robins Air Force Base, and found dangerous conditions which could have led to a Georgia work injury had it not been discovered. When OSHA visited the facility, it found process issues identified that did not meet OSHA standards, specifically noting problems with sanding equipment and protective gear.

Georgia: Construction Accident Leads to Death at Hartsfield

Sun, 09 May 2010 22:01:12 -0500

Edgar Rieffel, a contractor at the Atlanta airport working on the expansion of the international terminal, was killed on the job in Georgia recently. Mr. Rieffel worked for DH Pace & Co., an overhead door contractor. While the cause of death is currently unknown, OSHA is investigating the incident.

Every day in America, at least 14 workers are killed on the job. While an Atlanta Workers Compensation attorney can help you with a work injury claim, recovery for a Georgia worksite death will be very limited in the workers comp context. To obtain full recovery, a third-party claim, against other contractors on the job site, the premises owner, and others should be filed.

Refinery Explosion Leads to Death; OSHA Investgating

Thu, 06 May 2010 23:34:57 -0500

Another oil refinery explosion has caused work injury and worker death, and has also led to the fling of workers compensation claims, this time in New Mexico. The Navajo Refinery, owned by Dallas, Texas based Holly Corp., exploded because the plant operator failed to follow safety instructions. According to a recently filed lawsuit, several workers were injured the the explosion, some suffering burn injury. Apparently, a large tank used to produce tar exploded, causing this incident.

Mesothelioma Danger Removed

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:39:54 -0500

Georgia asbestos lawyers and Atlanta meso lawyers see clients exposed to asbestos not just at work, but unfortunately see people suffering from asbestos disease who were exposed to asbestos at home or at school. Recently, a mesothelioma risk was abated in North Carolina, where asbestos was found after carpet was removed.

Work Death and Worker's Compensataion Claim Caused by Dangerous Workplace

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 21:49:07 -0500

Often, there's only so much even the best Atlanta worker's compensation attorneycan do for Georgia workers. Dangerous working conditions often lead to work injury and sometimes worker death. Dangerous workplace practices often lead to injuries which are usually avoidable had safety guidelines been followed.

Atlanta: Workers Comp Claims Lead to Investigation, Fine

Thu, 08 Apr 2010 22:53:40 -0500

After repeated injuries, which undoubtedly required Georgia worker's compensation attorneys, including amputations, Crespac, an Atlanta area manufacturer, has been cited for willful violations of OSHA standards for failing to ensure that machines were equipped with guards and functional emergency stop cords. Other serious work injury hazards noted by OSHA include failure to provide proper safety equipment, exposure to harmful chemicals, and electrical hazards.

Worker Electrocution Leads to Fine

Sat, 03 Apr 2010 21:19:34 -0500

As an Atlanta Workman's Compensation lawyer, electrocution injuries are commonly seen. With proper workplace safety practices, they are almost always avoidable, and should not happen in the modern workplace.

Recently, OSHA cited a contractor following a work injury and workplace death caused by an employee removing contacting a live wire while removing a demountable wall. The employer was cited for failing to protect employees from energized electrical circuits and failing to tell workers about energized electrical components in the area.