Last month, a worker at Solar Seal/Shaw in Easton was taken by ambulance to Good Samaritan Hospital after he was shot with a nail gun. According to Chief Kevin Partridge, when the Easton Fire Department responded to an emergency call at the business they found an injured 41-year-old man with a three-inch nail embedded in his chest. Although the cause of the accident is currently under investigation, the man was reportedly assembling a wooden crate around panes of glass prior to transporting them when he was shot with an air-operated nail gun. Once stabilized, the unidentified worker was later taken by helicopter to Boston Medical Center for surgery. The man allegedly suffered from internal damage as a result of the nail gun shooting.
Unfortunately, accidental injuries like this occur frequently in the workplace. After an on the job accident, injured workers may be temporarily unable to work or they may become permanently disabled. Generally, state workers’ compensation laws provide the only recourse available to employees who are hurt while at work in Massachusetts. Sometimes, a third party such as the manufacturer of the nail gun may be held legally responsible for inadequate safety measures or building a dangerous or defective product. If you were hurt in the workplace, an experienced Massachusetts workers’ compensation lawyer can explain your options for recovery.
This incident is the type of serious accident the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) will normally investigate. OSHA was created by Congress in 1970 in an effort to reduce worker fatalities and injuries. Employers in the United States are required to follow OSHA workplace safety standards and provide a working environment that is reasonably free from health and safety hazards. The organization also investigates workplace accidents to determine whether an employer contributed to a worker’s injury by failing to adhere to established safety standards.
Contact Pulgini & Norton, LLP today if you were hurt while at work. Our knowledgeable New Bedford OSHA and workplace rights attorneys are available to answer the questions you have following a workplace injury. The lawyers at Pulgini & Norton will help you file your workers’ compensation claim, gather any required medical documentation, and negotiate on your behalf in order to ensure you receive the compensation your workplace injuries merit. We will also help you determine whether a third party may be legally responsible for your injury. Our law firm assists injured clients achieve monetary damages for their on the job injuries throughout Massachusetts. To discuss your injury and learn more about Massachusetts workers’ compensation laws, contact Pulgini & Norton through our website or call us today at (888) 344-2046.
More Blogs:
Plainville Construction Contractor Cited $50,000 Over Fourth Fall Hazard Violation in Less Than Five Years, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 6, 2012
OSHA Cites Everett Recycling Facility $70,000 for Ten Serious Violations, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, March 6, 2012
Additional Resources:
Easton worker shot in the chest with nail gun, by Justin Graeber, wickedlocal.com
Easton Fire Department: Man Hit With Nail Shot By Nail Gun, From Easton Fire Department Press Release,Easton Patch