Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
As part of commemorating Workers’ Memorial Day on Friday, labor leaders in Springfield read the names of the 62 people killed in Massachusetts work accidents in the last 16 months—that’s a little over one death a week. National Council for Occupational Safety and Heath director Mary Vogel said that most of the worker injury deaths could have been prevented if only there had been the necessary safety-minded precautions and procedures in place.
Workers’ Memorial Day—April 28—marks the annual anniversary of when the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970. Last year, there were 4,500 workplace fatalities in the U.S.—a figure that has stayed pretty consistent in the last few years. Many more workers sustained injuries or work-related diseases because of their jobs.
Among the workers’ whose named were read were people from Brimfield, Westfield, Pittsfield, Athol, North Brookfield, Ware, Springfield, Northborough, and other Massachusetts cities. The workplace deaths involved transportation accidents, fall accidents, trip and fall accidents, slip and fall accidents, equipment-related accidents, object-related incidents, violence, explosions, fires, firefighting-related illnesses, and even one sky diving accident. 49 of the Massachusetts worker deaths occurred in 2014. The other three took place this year.
Unfortunately there are many hazards on the job that remain unregulated and continue to place workers at risk of getting hurt. It doesn’t help that workers may have real reason to fear retaliation or dismissal for reporting a hazard or injury or some employers are choosing to contract out dangerous work to get out of having to be held accountable.
In Massachusetts, our Boston workers’ compensation lawyers represent workers and their families in pursuing work injury claims from employers. We also handle injury lawsuits against liable third parties that played a part in causing a work accident.
2015 Workers’ Memorial Day recognizes 62 Massachusetts residents killed on the job, MassLive, April 24, 2015
Workers’ Memorial Day, AFL-CIO
More Blog Posts:
Wheelchair Lift Defect Leads to TBI, Paralysis, $10M Judgment, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, April 23, 2015
Massachusetts Bill Could Expand Workers’ Compensation Benefits to Include Permanent Lower Body Disfigurement, Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 14, 2015
Wareham, MA Rollover Accident Kills One, Injures Another, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, April 24, 2015
