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An industrial accident can change everything in a single moment. In Boston, where new buildings are going up and manufacturing continues across the city, workers face real risks every time they report for a shift. Whether it’s machinery accidents, toxic exposures, or injuries from falls in a warehouse, these are situations that can leave people with serious, life-altering injuries.
Medical treatment, bills, and the pressure to quickly get back to work can become incredibly overwhelming. If you’ve been hurt, our firm is here to answer your questions and advocate for the help and financial recovery you need to move forward.
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How Santoro & Gray can help you
- Common types of industrial accidents in Boston
- Understanding your legal options for compensation after an industrial accident
- When you may have a claim beyond workers’ compensation
- How a personal injury lawyer can help after a Boston industrial accident
- Is there a local Boston lawyer who can help with industrial accident cases?
Industrial work in Boston carries a unique set of risks. From busy construction projects to sprawling factories or warehouse operations, code violations and safety issues are more common than they should be. Recognizing these risks helps both workers and employers prevent injuries and properly address them if they occur. Some common types of industrial accidents include:
Machinery malfunctions
Industrial machines, such as presses, saws, and conveyors, depend on proper maintenance, repairs, and well-designed controls. When something breaks down or is defective, injuries can be severe, causing fingers, hands, or entire limbs to be crushed, cut, or pulled into moving parts before anyone has a chance to react.
Falls from heights
Jobs that must be done from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, or high walkways are everywhere across Boston construction and industry sites. If protective measures like harnesses or barriers aren’t used, a simple slip can easily become severe, leaving a person with fractured bones or spinal cord trauma.
Forklift and equipment accidents
Powerful vehicles, such as forklifts, pallet movers, and mobile lifts, are common on busy sites but come with real risks. Workers can be struck by backing forklifts, trapped between machinery and other objects, or even crushed if equipment suddenly tips. These accidents can cause significant injuries that lead to long-term disability.
Exposure to chemicals or toxic substances
Industrial work can mean routine contact with cleaning agents, pesticides, solvents, or airborne particles. Getting chemicals on your skin or breathing them in can cause problems that aren't obvious right away, and harmful effects can build over months or even years.
Electrical accidents
Factories and construction sites rely heavily on wires, circuits, and powered machines. When power cords are damaged, safety protocols aren’t followed, or employees encounter a live electrical system while performing regular tasks, painful shocks, severe burns, and even deadly electrocution all become real risks.
Building collapses
Boston’s older buildings, fast-paced renovations, and ongoing repairs bring added risk. When walls, ceilings, or temporary support structures collapse, it can lead to severe injuries and even deaths.
Explosions
On the job, no one expects to face an explosion, but they happen more often than most people assume on busy worksites. Leaking gas lines, improper handling of fuel or chemicals, or using tools near combustible dust can all trigger sudden blasts. These incidents happen without warning, sending debris flying and exposing anyone close by to serious burns, deep cuts, hearing loss, or head injuries.
The variety of hazards on Boston job sites means workers must always be cautious to try to avoid injuries.
When you're hurt on an industrial job in Boston, your first protection is usually workers’ compensation. This state-mandated insurance covers nearly all employees after a job-related injury, offering quick access to medical care and financial compensation. You can usually obtain the following:
- Medical expenses: Necessary medical expenses, including doctor visits, surgeries, hospital stays, medications, rehab, and travel costs related to treatment
- Partial wage replacement: Designed to help you while you miss work and recover. This typically doesn't match your full take-home pay but is meant to ease some of your family's financial strain.
- Disability benefits: Extra compensation if the injury leaves you temporarily or permanently unable to work, which can include payments for partial or total disability, depending on how much the injury affects your ability to earn a living.
- Vocational rehabilitation: If your injuries make it impossible to return to your usual job, the system may help cover retraining, education, or job placement assistance to help you recover your financial independence.
- Death benefits: If a family member dies in a work accident, workers' comp can help pay for the funeral and burial costs, as well as provide money to the spouse or dependents.
You don't have to establish that someone was careless in causing your injury in order to get workers' compensation, but there are certain limitations. For example, you don't get full wage replacement, and you can't recover pain and suffering damages.
Many workers wonder if they have to accept only what workers’ compensation offers, especially when their injury leads to unexpected hospitalizations, chronic pain, or trouble returning to the same job. In some cases, you may be able to bring a third-party liability claim, depending on who else played a role in how your accident happened. In the following situations, you may also be able to file a personal injury lawsuit.
- Equipment manufacturers: If machinery fails due to defective design or manufacturing, the company that made and sold it could face a personal injury claim for negligence.
- Subcontractors or other companies on site: Industrial and construction worksites often have several employers sharing space. If a subcontractor ignored safety or created a danger, you may have grounds for a separate personal injury lawsuit against that other company.
- Property owners: Slip-and-falls or accidents caused by hazards that weren't promptly addressed may expose a landlord or other property owner to liability.
When another person, business, or manufacturer outside your own employer is negligent and causes real harm, this can give rise to a third-party injury lawsuit.
After an industrial accident, figuring out what actually happened and whether anyone beyond your employer is responsible isn’t easy on your own. A skilled personal injury lawyer can be invaluable. Here's an overview of what they can do to assist:
Determine whether a third-party claim exists
Not every injury on the job is clear as to how the accident happened and whether it involved negligence. A lawyer can look into the details to see whether a manufacturer, property owner, subcontractor, or another party could share responsibility.
Investigate all possible sources of liability
After an industrial accident, the real cause of the injury isn’t always obvious. A lawyer spends time digging through job-site records, scrutinizing accident reports, and speaking with coworkers or witnesses who may have seen what happened. By looking beyond the surface and asking the right questions, they can determine what really happened.
Handle communication with insurance companies
Dealing with insurance adjusters after an accident can become overwhelming. They ask for details, challenge what you say, and often try to pay you as little as possible. They often do all of this while acting like they're completely on your side and doing what's best for you. When you have a lawyer, you don’t have to handle these conversations or deal with their tactics. Your lawyer will speak with them and make sure you aren't taken advantage of.
Work with experts to build the case
It isn't always easy to prove what went wrong or why an injury happened. Sometimes your lawyer must consult a specialist, such as a medical expert or an expert in accident reconstruction, so they can explain what happened and the extent of your injuries.
Pursue full compensation beyond workers’ comp
As we explained, workers' compensation can have its limitations, especially with serious or life-changing injuries. A personal injury lawyer can explore whether you’re owed damages in another way, like by a negligent third party.
Ultimately, a lawyer will handle your entire case to help you get as much compensation as possible.
Yes, you can find help in Boston from attorneys who know state law and understand how local job sites operate. Our office is located at 131 Dartmouth St, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02116. To get answers specific to your case, or to just talk privately about your options, call us any time.
Contact Santoro & Gray to schedule a free consultation with a Boston industrial accident lawyer
Recovering from an industrial accident often brings up questions and stress you never expected, sometimes when you’re least ready to handle them. You deserve guidance from someone who understands all the legal obstacles and can explain your options without making you feel rushed or alone. An experienced Boston accident lawyer from our team is available and ready to help you. Reach out to schedule a free case evaluation with a Boston industrial accident lawyer.