Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog
The Somerset Herald News reports a sanitation worker suffered a Massachusetts work accidents after falling off a garbage truck last week.
The employee reportedly suffered a head injury, although indications are that he would be back at work this week. Our Massachusetts’ workers compensation attorneys urge anyone injured on the job to undergo a through evaluation, particularly when a head injury is involved. Consequences of a head injury may take weeks, or months, to become apparent but can have serious or even fatal health consequences.
Reports indicate heavy rain may have been a factor in the accident, which happened after 5 p.m. at the intersection of New Boston Road and Freelove Street. The paper reports the Fall River Department of Public Waste has had its share of accidents. Two other workers have been seriously injured in the past several years and at least three others have been hurt, primarily from falling off the trucks.
A spokesman noted that neither private nor public waste removal services use helmets or safety tethers to help reduce the risk of falling from trucks. One employee lost both legs after falling from the truck and being pinned by another vehicle.
Eight members of the 71-employee department are currently out on Massachusetts workers’ compensation claims, including three who have been off work for upwards of a year or more.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks trash collection among the Top 10 most dangerous occupations, with injury rates surpassing even those reported by law enforcement.
More modern trucks use side-loaders instead of crews. Only 3 of the city’s 18 trucks are newer side-load models.
If you have been injured in a Boston work accident, contact Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Jeffrey S. Glassman for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 877-617-5333.