A 26-year-old man was injured while working at a Harrison Township, Pennsylvania, plant. The workplace injury occurred after a piece of equipment fell on top of the man while he was working.
The accident occurred at about 4 p.m on Jan. 17 as the man was standing on scaffolding about 80 feet above ground. A steel plate that weighed more than 1,200 pounds fell on top of the employee, pinning him in the process. The chief from the volunteer fire department that responded to the scene of the accident said that fire department personnel used a crane and rope equipment to get the man safely to the ground. Workers helped to remove the steel plate before rescue workers made it to the scene. The man was then rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment of a broken leg.
In cases that involve one person who negligently causes another to be hurt, the injured victim might choose to pursue a personal injury lawsuit. However, the workers’ compensation plan provides an alternative to this system. This helps protect an employee from feeling overwhelmed with making his or her employer an adversary in court and provides a more streamlined approach to getting medical treatment for an employee who has been injured in a work accident.
Employees who are injured in industrial accidents, manufacturing accidents or other work accidents may decide to pursue a workers’ compensation claim. If the on-the-job injury was a result of the worker completing his or her job duties, compensation may be available to help provide for medical treatment of the injured worker. Workers’ compensation may also provide for wages that the worker loses while he or she is receiving medical treatment and recovering.
Source: CBS Pittsburgh, “Worker Pinned By Falling Equipment At Plant In Harrison Twp. “, January 17, 2014