THE ULTIMATE RESOLUTION OF MY CASE HAS BEEN EXCELLENT, FAR BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED. I COULDN'T RECOMMEND ANYONE MORE HIGHLY.
Maryland Machinery Accident Lawyers
Work-Related Machinery Injuries
Machines of various kinds are used in a wide range of workplaces, and nearly all of them can cause injury. That’s because machines often have many parts that are moving, sharp, extremely hot or cold, press together, or perform in some other way that can do serious damage to the human body if someone accidentally comes into contact with the machine.
Machinery Accident Injury Types
Some of the more common serious work-related machinery injuries that occur in the U.S. each year include the following, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Crush injuries. Crush injuries do serious damage to bones, nerves, muscles, and soft tissue when a body part is caught between two machine parts that press, squeeze, or lock together. Crush injuries are the most common type of machinery injuries on farms, according to the Journal of Trauma.
- Uncontrolled energy releases. Both electrical and mechanical energy can cause serious harm if they are released in an uncontrolled manner, as they may be if a machine jams or is turned on or off suddenly and improperly. Burns, broken bones, and tissue damage can all be caused by an uncontrolled energy release, as can falls and other injuries.
- Amputations. A machine with sharp or heavy moving parts can cause the amputation of a finger, hand, or limb. Crush injuries and other types of injuries can also cause damage that will require a limb to be partially or completely amputated.
- Choking and similar injuries. Moving machine parts can catch clothing, hair, or other loose items attached to the body. People entangled in a machine this way may be choked, scalped, or suffer other serious and possibly fatal injuries.
- Maintenance injuries. The category “maintenance injury” includes any injury that occurs while a machine or any of its parts are being cleaned, repaired, or replaced. These injuries can be of any type, but they usually occur when the machine should be turned off. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has strict standards for lockout/tagout procedures to prevent machines from being accidentally turned on while someone is servicing them, causing injuries.
According to the Maryland Division of Labor and Industry Regulation, approximately 58,000 workplace injuries are reported in Maryland each year. Most of these occur in either the construction or the manufacturing field, where up to half of workers injured are forced to take at least one day off work to recuperate. Some are so severely injured that they are unable to return to their previous jobs; they must find alternative work, often after a period of vocational rehabilitation, or they must stop working entirely due to total permanent disability.
How Can I Restore My Financial Future After a Machine Accident At Work?
Maryland workers’ compensation coverage provides for bills, partial lost wages replacement, vocational rehabilitation, and other costs associated with on-the-job machine injuries. If the machine that injures a worker is defective, he or she may also be able to seek compensation from the machine’s manufacturer or seller as part of a products liability case.
At Alpert Schreyer, our Maryland worker injury attorneys have the experience and dedication necessary to build a strong case on behalf of every client we represent. We can help you investigate your accident and hold any negligent parties accountable for their actions, as well as help you obtain the workers’ compensation benefits you need. Call us today or send us a message via our free online form for more information.
