Severe injuries stemming from defective equipment occur in numerous workplace settings, including construction sites, warehouses, oil fields, and manufacturing plants. Workers across these industries and more rely on modern machinery and equipment to do their jobs efficiently, but when those tools and machines are not properly maintained, have a defective design, or are a product of a manufacturing error, serious accidents can cause life-threatening injuries.
These incidents often leave victims with irreversible and life-long conditions, including brain damage, loss of limb, or paralysis. Continue reading to learn more about the most common severe workplace injuries caused by defective equipment and how The Fitzgerald Law Firm can help victims and their families seek justice for physical, emotional, and monetary damages.
What Causes Common Defective Equipment Injuries
Unsafe machinery is among the top 10 workplace safety violations reported by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). In 2022, there were 2.8 million workplace injuries in the industrial sector, a 7.5% increase from the previous year.
Improper maintenance, age-related wear and tear, or flaws in the equipment design or manufacture are common causes of defective equipment injuries in the workplace. State and federal regulations require industrial workplaces to maintain a certain standard of employee education and training, as well as routine equipment maintenance, risk assessment, and measures to protect employees. When these regulations are skirted or ignored, catastrophic accidents can occur.
Victims of defective equipment injuries have the right to seek legal counsel when failed equipment or negligence is a factor in their injuries. Having a reliable team of workplace accident attorneys to turn to can help you obtain justice and protect others from similar situations.
Common Injuries Caused by Defective Equipment
Defective equipment puts workers at risk on worksites, oilfields, and factories across Wyoming. Injuries sustained by faulty or defective equipment are often severe and can have lasting effects that require extensive medical care. Below are some of the most common injuries caused by defective workplace equipment:
- Burn Injuries in the workplace are often the result of contact with electrical, thermal, or chemical elements. Defective power supplies and improper wiring can cause fires. Explosions can also take place on construction sites and oil fields.
- Crush Injuries occur when the body undergoes physical trauma by excessive or prolonged force or pressure. Often, these injuries are caused when the body or a body part is trapped, pinched, or jammed under or between objects.
- Lacerations made by sharp objects and defective power tools such as saws, drills, and other cutting tools, including rotators and punch presses, can cause severe cuts and lacerations that require immediate medical care.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) are often caused by blunt forced trauma to the head. Vehicle-related accidents in which a truck or excavation vehicle has a defective part or a defective load can lead to traumatic injuries, internal bleeding, and brain damage.
- Spinal Injuries are commonly associated with workplace falls. Defective scaffolding, slippery surfaces, improperly maintained mechanisms, ladders, and harnesses can put an employee at risk of paralysis.
Why Work With a Personal Injury Attorney?
If your injury resulted from a machinery or faulty equipment defect, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Determining liability in a defective equipment lawsuit and navigating insurance companies can be highly challenging. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney will provide you with the guidance and resources to conduct thorough investigations and uncover the truth to fight for justice.
As a personal injury firm that concentrates its practice on catastrophic injury and wrongful death, The Fitzgerlad Law Firm has worked with victims of horrific, preventable workplace accidents that were the product of defective equipment and negligent product design. The firm has obtained multiple record-setting verdicts and settlements for our clients and holds the Wyoming Supreme Court record for the largest verdicts for injuries and wrongful death.
If you were injured by defective equipment at work, trust the experienced team at The Fitzgerald Law Firm to help you navigate your path to justice. Contact our firm today to schedule a free consultation.