Category Archives: Workplace Accidents

What to do when involved in an on-the-job injury

Kansas residents are no stranger to hard work. However, there are some work environments, such as industrial plants that may place workers at a higher risk for on-the-job injuries than others.

Recently, a pipeline worker was injured in an industrial accident. The man had to be flown be a medical helicopter to a nearby hospital. There is no word yet on the cause of the injury or the status of the injured worker.

While the extent of the worker’s injuries are not yet known, one thing for certain is that he will have medical bills and expenses. Fortunately, employers in every state, including Kansas must carry some type of worker’s compensation insurance. Worker’s compensation is a system in which employers compensate their injured workers by providing benefits, such as medical expenses, lost wages, costs of training, as well as benefits to survivors of a deceased employee who was killed on the job.

Worker’s compensation benefits can vary state to state and profession to profession. However, most workers that are injured on the job can receive compensation for injuries associated with physical accidents, as in the above mentioned case. Workers can also receive benefits for injuries associated with mental and emotional health due to job-related stress. Workers can also receive benefits for pre-existing conditions that were made worse due to their job-related duties. There are certain injuries that may not be covered under worker’s compensation, including injuries sustained while performing a personal errand (even if during work hours) and injuries sustained while traveling to and from work.

Kansas residents who have been injured on the job need to make sure their rights are protected. Employers may try to find ways to get around paying worker’s compensation benefits. Experienced legal professionals specializing in worker’s comp benefits are available to assess one’s case and make sure they receive all the compensation to which they are entitled.

Source: 12 News Cincinnati, “Pipeline Worker Injured In Industrial Accident“, August 20, 2013

Kansas rail yard accident leaves worker, family unsure of future

Many seriously injured workers in Kansas might be able to relate with the struggle of a man from a small town near Wichita. His sister described him as an active, “innovation type of guy.” In other words, he isn’t accustomed to sitting still. He owned a bakery for a decade and even operated a theater for a stint.

Then he started working for Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway, and one night on the rail yard changed everything.

In early July, shortly after 2 a.m., the man fell beneath a train car as he helped other workers get a train ready for departure. The car’s wheels pinned the upper part of his legs against the tracks. For 45 minutes, he remained there in extreme pain and conscious, until workers were finally able to lift the car and get him out.

The work accident has kept him in the hospital ever since, and he and his family aren’t sure of what the future holds.

The community in Wellington, where the man has been an active church member and president of the chamber of commerce, has rallied around him. A special fund was set up at a local bank, and community members organized a bake sale and benefit dinner.

These are all commendable efforts in an injured man’s time of need. His rehabilitation may be long and difficult, and his family has likely considered their options for obtaining workers’ compensation to cover the cost of future medical treatment.

Calculating such costs can be a daunting task, and seriously injured employees would be wise to take the proper legal steps to ensure that the compensation is sufficient to the demands of the injury.

Source: The Wichita Eagle, “Town of Wellington to raise money for railroad worker hurt in accident,” Raymond Howze, Aug. 2, 2013

Kansas rig accident takes worker’s life, injures another

This blog is meant to shed light on some of the issues and obstacles Kansas workers and their families have to confront after a work-related accident. Injuries arising out of employment can lead to a workers’ compensation claim, but sometimes insurance companies and employers go to great lengths to reduce or deny compensation payments when injured workers need them most. In other cases, a party who isn’t your co-worker or employer may be responsible for the accident, or maybe a defective product caused an injury.

These issues may have to be considered in the investigation of a tragic drilling-site accident that took the life of one worker and sent another to a Wichita hospital.

According to the sheriff’s department in Trego County, a rig worker was severely injured when he was struck by a falling derrick basket. His injuries were so severe that he died at the scene.

The worker who was in the basket when it fell was also hurt, though the nature of his injuries was not reported. He had to be airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

As is routine after a fatal workplace accident, investigators from the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration were called to the scene. An OSHA spokesperson indicated that D & S Casing, based in Kansas, was involved in the investigation, but a news report does not clarify which company or companies may have employed the workers.

It is known, however, that the Oklahoma company Horizontal Well Drillers is in charge of maintaining the rig.

The man who survived the accident and the family of the man who died may be entitled to compensation in one form or another.

If Kansas residents would like to learn more about what to do after a work-related injury or death, our Kansas City work accident pages are there to help.

Source: Upstream, “One worker was killed and another injured at a drilling site in Trego County, north-west Kansas, according to reports,” Luke Johnson, June 27, 2013