Pennsylvania lawsuit alleges dangerous equipment caused injury

In order to fulfill their job responsibilities, workers in Pennsylvania must use equipment that could cause serious injury if appropriate safety measures are not in place. If an injury does occur as a result of a flawed safety feature that a manufacturer knew about, or should have known about, and failed to take appropriate corrective action, it could be held responsible. For example, a woman who suffered a serious injury to her hand has recently filed a lawsuit, claiming that her injury was the result of dangerous equipment.

The victim worked as a threader at Warp Processing Co., a business that produces yarn. She claims that in April 2016 she was working with a mechanic as they tested the warping speed of a spinning beam on a machine. According to reports, a mechanic noticed a part of the machine that was dirty, prompting the woman to go under a safety guard and attempt to clean the part with a paper towel. Unfortunately, she says that the paper towel became tangled in the yarn, also pulling in her hand. As a result, she lost all give of her fingers on the hand as well as the skin on the entire hand.

The defendants are the manufacturer of a machine and a company that was hired to build a safety guard. She argues that instead of protecting employees, the guard forced workers to bypass it in order to do their job, putting the employee in danger. The lawsuit says that the defendants should have been aware of this and that additional warnings were needed.

An injury such as this can have a significant impact on a person's life. In addition to the costs of medical care, the woman may be unable to work in the same capacity. While she is likely entitled to workers' compensation insurance benefits, people who are injured as a result of dangerous equipment due to the negligence of a third party may also be entitled to file a personal injury lawsuit. An attorney with experience regarding such cases can help workers in Pennsylvania understand their legal options and take any necessary action to ensure that negligent parties are held responsible.

Source: citizensvoice.com, "Pittston Twp. woman injured in industrial accident files lawsuit", James Halpin, April 20, 2017