St. Louis Injury Lawyer Blog

A St. Louis area man who lost four fingers in a chop saw accident work has filed a personal injury and product liability suit against his employer and the product manufacturer.

The man, who had worked as a wood pallet delivery man, was using a chop saw to cut boards used to build wooden pallets. Due to negligent maintenance, the piece that was cut would occasionally become stuck on a roller beneath the blade. This circumstance required the employee to manually flick the wood into a box below.

The incident occurred when he flicked the wood, and the blade came out of its hood, catching his glove, and pulling his hand into the 22 inch blade. According to industry experts which WWF&G attorney Michael P. Glisson consulted for this case, the loss of his finger may have been prevented by providing more training for the employee, not requiring him to wear a glove, not using faulty machinery or fixing the chop blade's setup.

Due to the small number of employees hired by the pallet-making company, the case is not eligible for a workers' compensation claim. Trial is scheduled for summer 2011 in St. Charles County.

According to a study published by the U.S. Library of Medicine, circular saw hand injuries are usually more serious than other hand injuries and often take more time to treat. In addition, those injured by saws are more likely to receive disability pension than people with other hand injuries.

Continue reading "St. Louis Area Man Files Suit Against Employer After Losing Four Fingers" »

A Collinsville, IL resident has filed a workplace injury lawsuit against the railway company that had employed him for 40 years.

According to a story published Nov. 23 in the Madison / St. Clair Record, the man sought damages in excess of $75,000 for work-related injuries to his upper body that have affected his ability to work.

The plaintiff claims the injuries were not caused all at once, but rather repeated trauma throughout the course of his career as a rail worker. Hazardous working conditions caused serious damage to his body over four decades.

Injuries occurring on the job can be serious whether they occur on the railroads, waterways, or at everyday jobs. The Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission Report for 2009 states that 200,000 work-related accidents occur in Illinois in each year, and approximately 55,000 of them are reported to the commission. 1,756 new cases were filed in Collinsville last year, and an additional 1,374 were filed in Belleville.

Continue reading "Collinsville Illinois Rail Worker Sues Employer for Multiple Injuries" »

A Prairie State Energy Campus worker was hospitalized after a construction accident. The 35-year-old man (his name has not been released) was working on the 13th floor when he was suffered a blow to the head from a piece of metal. John Felchlia, Washington County Ambulance Service Administrator told KMOX News that an on-site rescue team affiliated with the campus immobilized the man on that floor until rescue workers came. He was then lowered by crane to the waiting emergency vehicles.

The man was taken to a St. Louis hospital and his condition has not been released. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates there are approximately 13 injuries per 100 workers in the field of civil engineering construction.

Continue reading "Illinois Man Injured on Construction Site" »

In 2008, 29-year-old Timothy Epperson was working for the city of Perry, MO fixing sewer lines with another city worker when the sides of the trench collapsed. His co-worker survived but Epperson was trapped under the debris and died later that night in an area hospital.

Epperson left behind three sons and a wife who would eventually file a suit against the town's superintendent on behalf of her sons. Last week, Circuit Judge Robert Clayton II awarded the family $6 million, claiming "breached duty of care" towards Epperson on the part of the town. According to the Hannibal Courier-Post, the judge also claimed that proper safety precautions were not observed on the site of the accident and that the superintendent was aware of the dangers around the trench.

Continue reading "Missouri Trench Collapse Victim's Family Awarded $6 Million" »

As Illinois injury attorneys, we often handle workplace accidents. On February 2nd, 2009, a maintenance electrician working for Miller-Coors brewery in Golden, Colorado was found dead. His body was discovered near an energized electric panel. Regulators are considering fining Miller-Coors $128,500 for failing to meet required safety standards for their employees. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found 10 safety violations of safety rules concerning electrical hazards.

On April 10th there was another incident where two employees were burned by electrical units at a Miller-Coors brewery. Of the 10 safety violations there was one alleged willful violation where MillerCoors failed to ensure employees wore proper protective equipment when working near energized electrical parts. OSHA found all ten violations involve work practices and protective equipment.

The data below was found on Electrical Safety Foundation International's website

• In the workplace, data from the National Safety Council indicate that electrical hazards cause nearly one workplace fatality every day.
• Annually, electrical hazards are listed as the cause of approximately 4,000 injuries.
• Electrical incidents, while only a small portion of those that occur on-the-job, are far more likely to be fatal.

According to the OSHA, "electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. In 1999, for example, 278 workers died from electrocutions at work, accounting for almost 5 percent of all on-the-job fatalities that year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What makes these statistics more tragic is that most of these fatalities could have been easily avoided." When companies do not follow the safety procedures set up by OSHA, accidents are likely to occur.

This table taken from the OSHA shows the general relationship between the amount of current received and the reaction when current flows from the hand to the foot for just 1 second.

Below 1 milliampere: Generally not perceptible
1 milliampere: Faint tingle
5 milliamperes: Slight shock felt; not painful but disturbing. Average individual can let go. Strong involuntary reactions can lead to other injuries.
6-25 milliamperes (women): Painful shock, loss of muscular control*
9-30 milliamperes (men): The freezing current or " let-go" range.* Individual cannot let go, but can be thrown away from the circuit if extensor muscles are stimulated.
50-150 milliamperes : Extreme pain, respiratory arrest, severe muscular contractions. Death is possible. 1,000-4,300 milliamperes : Rhythmic pumping action of the heart ceases. Muscular contraction and nerve damage occur; death likely.
10,000 milliamperes : Cardiac arrest, severe burns; death probable

Continue reading "Better Safe Than Sorry in the Workplace" »

Olin Brass in East Alton Illinois was the site of a tragic construction accident on Saturday, July 11, 2009. Michael Niswander died Saturday morning after being struck in the chest by a piece of machinery at Global Brass and Copper.

Reports indicated Niswander was working on a lathe when something - either a piece of lathe or a piece of fastened to the lathe - broke and struck him in the chest.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a preliminary total of 5,488 fatalities in the workplace were recorded in the year 2007. Based on these counts, there are 3.7 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers in the United States, down from 4.0 fatalities in 2006, and the lowest total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) began in 1992.

Continue reading "East Alton Illinois Man Killed At Olin Brass" »