Law Blog

You were all geared up for your interview at the industrial recruitment office…that is until you began to overhear other potential workers discussing their hesitations about safety. They spoke about stories they heard of people losing their arms in industrial accidents, and how industrial fatalities are on the rise.

Although they were still obviously interested in the employment and pay of an industrial job, their conversation began to bring doubt into your own mind.

Are industrial jobs really that dangerous?

Risking it All for the Job

The 2014 National Consensus of Fatal Injuries, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Department of Labor, a preliminary estimate of 4,405 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States. Private industrial accidents made up 3,929 of these fatalities, making industrial workplace accidents an extreme priority for the Occupation Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standards.

Although, with the help of OSHA, worker deaths have drastically decreased over the past 50 years from an average of 38 a day in 1970, to 12 a day at present, the following fatal injuries are still alarmingly common in today’s industrial world. The following are the most common injuries:

• Asphyxiation – Suffocation, lung collapse or chest compression as a result of faulty industrial equipment, materials, inadequate ventilation, or respiratory exposure can cause lung collapse or make it impossible for you to breathe.
• Explosions and fires – Inadequate safety measures, unmarked flammable or combustible materials, and improper fire precautions can result in fatal burns, smoke inhalation, and catastrophic force injuries.
• Crushing and falling injuries – As with construction, industrial workplaces have high risk of malfunctioning equipment and dangerous environments. A fall from a high level could cause traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, or punctured organs, while faulty machinery could crush your limbs, head, or entire body.
• Long-term occupational injuries – Exposure to industrial chemicals, toxic materials (asbestos), and unclean or polluted environments can cause long-term disabilities such as cancer, respiratory and pulmonary diseases, and acute asthma.

Putting the Pieces Back Together After a Tragic Loss

Remember, an accident can happen at any time—to anyone. Make sure your family and friends are not only aware of industrial injury risks, but also know to take proper precautions to avoid a tragic accident. Share this page on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus to ensure your loved ones have the information they need to protect themselves. You never know who you may save.

Unfortunately, even with knowledge and precautions—fatal accidents can still affect your family. When an employer’s negligence or fault costs you the life of a beloved family member, you deserve credence, compensation, and closure for his error. Your bereavement shouldn’t have to include arguments, tactless bartering, and confusing conversations with your loved one’s employer or his insurance company. Therefore, if you’ll have us, we’ll be here to help you put the pieces back together as seamlessly and quickly as possible, so you and your family can mourn in peace and get the closure you need.

Contact us today to discuss your case for a wrongful death claim. Let us show you how our vast experience with industrial accidents and death claims will help you get the closure and compensation you, your family, and your departed loved one deserve. Call today.

You are on your way home after picking up your kids from school, when all of a sudden your engine starts to smoke. You don’t want to worry your children, so you slowly pull over to the side of the road. However, before you can put the car in park, your hood explodes into the air, and dozens of sparks fly out of the engine compartment.

Your children start to scream as you turn off the engine and unbuckle yourself. As you turn to calm your babies down, the engine smoke starts to funnel in through the vents. In a matter of seconds you can barely see anything.

What do you do? Your children are sobbing between violent coughs, your eyes are watering from the smoke, and you can feel the heat of the fire getting closer and closer to your back. How do you get yourself and your family to safety?

Vital Safety Tips to Use When Trapped in a Car Fire

Throughout the United States, nearly 300,000 vehicle fires are reported annually, according to the National Fire Protection Association. These fires, caused by various types of accidents, account for over 400 roadway deaths, and an estimated 1,500 civilian injuries every year. This is why it is extremely important for you to not only know your car fire risks, but also how to protect yourself if you become trapped within your burning vehicle.

By following the below checklist, you can help prevent a car fire tragedy:

• Turn off your engine. Fumes, an overheated engine, and sparks can help feed a fire.
• Ventilate smoke. If your car is filling up with smoke, open a window to introduce fresh air and prevent yourself from passing out. However, before opening the window, be wary of any flames within the car—as excess oxygen could cause a flare up.
• Unbuckle yourself first, then help passengers. Even though your immediate reaction may be to save your family, you can’t properly do so if you are still restrained. Free yourself first, then attend to your family.
• Exit the car as quickly as possible and help your passengers do the same. If for some reason the doors are stuck or blocked, break the window furthest away from the fire and exit that way.
• Get as far away from the car as possible. Fumes, gasoline, and upholstery can ignite very quickly and cause explosive results. Don’t attempt to go back for anything, and keep your family and bystanders away as well.
• Call emergency services. An ambulance may be required for smoke inhalation or burn injuries, and fire fighters are equipped to properly extinguish the fire’s threat—never assume that your injuries aren’t severe enough to require medical attention, nor try to control the fire yourself.

Protecting Yourself After the Fact

Getting yourself and your family safely away from a car fire is only the first step in protecting them. How did the fire begin? Whose actions put your family at risk? How will you pay for any sustained injuries? You have questions—and we have answers. Contact us today for a free consultation and review of your case. We can help you understand your rights, file an injury claim, and get the answers and justice you seek. You survived the fire, now get the help you need to survive the aftermath.

Do you want to protect your friends and family from a car fire tragedy? Use your social media connections to keep your loved ones safe by sharing this page on your Facebook, Twitter, or Google Plus profiles.

After a four-hour trek home from seeing your in-laws—and countless hours of driving around New Orleans—you and your family are finally almost home. You can almost feel your soft bed as you see the mile marker for your exit. As you approach your turn off, you notice an SUV coming up really fast behind you. You try to maintain your speed as it gets closer and closer. Finally, you swerve as it slams into your back bumper, causing you to spin 180 degrees and collide into the other car. Your door is now crumpled up against the other car, trapping you inside. Suddenly, your engine starts to smoke.

You turn off your engine and attempt to unbuckle your seat belt in order to check on your family—but your belt is stuck. You can see the start of small flames creeping up your windshield. Your wife manages to unbuckle herself and tries to help you with your seat belt to no avail. You tell her to get the kids out, but as she goes to open her door, a semi—who apparently lost control because of the accident—skids to a halt, ripping her door off but trapping her inside as well.

The flames are growing and your children are starting to scream in horror.

What do you do? How can you get out? Is there anything in the car that can help?