Workplace Injuries
Monroe County PA
Hurt at Work - Falling Drywall
Our Client from East Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania worked as a carpenter doing insulation installation. He was on a new home construction site in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. A building supply company from Bucks County, Pennsylvania delivered a load of drywall to be installed in the home. The building supply company employees improperly stacked the drywall vertically against a wall in an area where Our Client was installing insulation. A number of other carpenters were also working in the area.
As our client walked through the construction site, the sheets of drywall began to fall. Although he tried to get out of the way, the drywall fell onto his right foot and leg. He suffered very serious injuries to his right leg and ankle.
Our client was transported by Medevac to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania for emergency treatment of crushing injuries to his leg and foot. He underwent a number of surgeries to repair tendon, ligament and bone damage. Because he was in the course of his employment at the time he was injured, our Client’s employer’s workman’s compensation carrier provided wage loss and medical benefits. They asserted a lien against his third party claims as pursuant to Pennsylvania law they are entitled to be reimbursed for those monies they pay on a worker’s behalf.
Due to the seriousness of his injuries, our client was not able to return to his prior occupation. A lawsuit was filed against the building supply company for their negligence in properly stacking sheets of drywall. After depositions and other discovery, an amicable and substantial settlement was achieved on behalf of the injured insulation installer.
Montgomery County PA
Hurt at Work - Loss of Hand
Our Souderton, Pennsylvania client was a 26 year old married, father of three small children who worked at a production company in Telford, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania that mixed different grains for bird and animal feed. The different grains were fed into a hopper and funneled down through a very large grain mixer. It was necessary to clean out the bottom of the mixer between different batches as certain grains cannot be tolerated by certain birds and animals.
The mixer was controlled by a computer system that was located several floors away. The operator in the control room could not view the mixer from his station. Additionally, the door utilized for the clean out did not have an interlock that prevented the operator from starting the mixer. Nor was there any indicator on the computer that advised the operator that the clean out door was open.
In between runs, our Client opened the clean out door and was sweeping the residual grain out with his hand. Meanwhile, in the control room, the operator received a computer message that the next batch was ready to run. The operator started the mixer and the blades began to turn, cutting off the majority of the Client's dominant hand and causing serious injury to his wrist and arm.
The Client and his wife hired our law firm to represent them against a number of companies including the manufacturer and installer of the mixer and the control system. The case involved claims for negligence and products liability. We also represented them in their claim for workers compensation benefits to assure the medical bills were paid and the wages were received timely.
A negligence and product liability suit was filed, numerous depositions were taken and expert opinions obtained. The case settled for a substantial amount at a mediation prior to the first day of trial.
Lehigh County PA
Hurt at Work - Job Site Electrical Injury
Our Client in his mid 30s from Lehighton, Pennsylvania worked as a maintenance person at an industrial center near Route 309 and Route 22 in Allentown. As a part of his job duties, he was directed to change the settings on a timer that regulated outside lighting. Unbeknownst to him, an electrical technician from an outside contractor had worked on the system shortly before and failed to replace the insulating cover.
When our Jim Thorpe client opened the panel to set the timer, he received a large electrical shock that entered his right hand and traveled up his right arm causing significant injury and nerve damage. After the accident, he was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He suffered horrible pain and lost a portion of the use of his dominant hand and arm. He was unable to return to his job as a maintenance worker.
The Client and his wife hired our law firm to represent them in a negligence claim against the electrical company that carelessly failed to replace the protective cover. We also represented him in his workers compensation claim to make sure that his medical bills were paid and he received his wage loss benefits for the time that he was out of work. We began a lawsuit in Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas in Allentown, Pennsylvania against the company who failed to properly replace the insulated cover thus causing the client a very serious and permanent injury. The case was satisfactorily settled for a confidential amount prior to trial.
