Industrial accidents can be devastating accidents with widespread damage, injuries, and many deaths, affecting hundreds or thousands of people, causing property damage and harming businesses, and impacting entire communities for years to come. Not all industrial accidents are huge events. Some injure just a single worker, but those injuries may still be significant or fatal.
Industrial Accident Injuries
Industrial accidents often involve hazardous materials, machinery, or electricity. The injuries can be very severe or fatal. Common industrial accident injuries include:
- Occupational illness
- Severe burns from fire
- Chemical burns
- Radiation burns
- Respiratory injury from inhalation of toxic gases
- Electrocution
- Dismemberment
- Decapitation
- Amputation
- Brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Crush injuries
- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
- Disfigurement
- Back injuries
- Hand injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
Types of Industrial Accidents
Industrial accidents can range from a single worker injured by a piece of machinery to huge accidents with ongoing effects, such as the BP oil spill. Some examples of industrial accidents include:
- Fires
- Explosions
- Hazardous materials spills
- Release of toxic gases
- Electrical accidents
- Welding accidents
- Machinery accidents
- Radiation leaks
Examples of setting in which industrial accident occur include:
- Oil refineries
- Gravel pits
- Wood milling
- Chemical plants
- Pesticide plants
- Nuclear plants
- Pipelines
- Manufacturing plants
- Assembly lines
- Paper mills
- Power plants
Examples of machinery which may be involved include:
- Graters
- Conveyor belts
- Punch presses
- Assembly line machinery
- Woodworking machinery
- Boilers
- Heavy equipment
Responsibility and Compensation
Safety violations are often the underlying cause of industrial accidents. Defective machinery or equipment can also malfunction causing a very serious accident.
Employees should begin by filing a Workers’ Compensation claim. These claims take some time, so you will want to get started right away. Workers’ Compensation benefits include your medical expenses and up to two thirds of your lost income. You do not have to prove fault in order to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits, but many employers and their insurance companies will try to deny claims or cut benefits short, so it helps to work with a Workers’ Compensation attorney.
Although Workers’ Compensation was created to protect employers from lawsuits, it is not a blank check allowing employers to get away with extreme negligence or intentional wrongdoing, and depending on the circumstances a lawsuit against your employer may still be possible. Some workers are not eligible for Workers’ Compensation, but can still pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
If defective machinery or equipment was to blame for your injuries a third party lawsuit against the manufacturer or seller may be appropriate.
Anyone who was injured, suffered property damage, or lost money due to an industrial accident may be entitled to compensation and should talk to a local industrial accident attorney.