A waste disposal worker in San Diego suffered serious job injuries after he slipped inside a large trash trailer. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the injury accident occurred the morning of December 13, 2010, when the 44-year-old EDCO employee who was walking on a beam inside a large trash trailer fell three feet into trash. He was wearing a safety harness, but the injuries he suffered during the fall caused him to lose feeling in his lower extremities, officials said. The worker was lifted out of the trash trailer by firefighters.
My heart goes out to this worker and his family. I truly hope he has not sustained catastrophic injuries. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep this injured worker and his family in your thoughts and prayers.
California Industrial Accident Statistics
Falls in any type of industrial workplace have the potential to cause death or serious injury. According to the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), there were 301 fatalities as a result of industrial accidents in the state in 2009. Of those, 54 fatalities were the result of falls.
Possible Causes and Compensation Issues
Based on this news report, the worker was wearing a harness. However, it appears that he still fell inside the trash container and sustained injuries. It is not clear if other fall prevention devices should have been in place or whether the worker’s harness was defective or had malfunctioned. I trust officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating how and why this job injury occurred.
In such cases, injured workers can seek workers compensation benefits to cover medical expenses, loss of wages and other damages. However, California workers compensation benefits can be extremely inadequate when it comes to compensating a worker who has been seriously injured or disabled.
Under such circumstances, workers may want to look into filing what is known as a third-party claim. These claims are filed against parties other than the employer such as a contractor, sub-contractor or the manufacturer of a defective product. Third-party claims are worth a lot more than workers compensation benefits. An experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer will be able to better advise injured workers about their legal rights and options, and also whether they have a potential third-party claim.
Seriously injured in a San Diego accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a San Diego workplace injury. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys San Diego personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.
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The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.