manufacturing worker

Manufacturing accidents may occur because of unsafe work conditions, faulty machinery and equipment, and a lack of safety precautions. Workers involved in manufacturing accidents in South Carolina may die or be severely injured. Many suffer permanent disabilities.

A worker who has suffered a serious injury at a South Carolina manufacturing plant, factory or mill may receive workers’ compensation benefits to pay medical bills and replace a portion of lost income. In some cases, a worker may be able to obtain additional compensation through a third-party claim if a non-employer contributed to the accident.

After a serious injury or loved one’s death, don’t go it alone. Call Joye Law Firm. Contact a lawyer who knows how to prove your injury, determine all liable parties, file the proper paperwork and secure full and fair benefits for you.

Manufacturing Hazards in South Carolina

Manufacturing employs about 225,000 people in South Carolina and poses a risk of injury or illness to virtually all of them.

There are more than 125,000 manufacturing injuries that resulted in at least one day away from work in the U.S. in a typical year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says. These include:

  • Contact with objects (being hit by or slammed into something)
  • Overexertion in lifting or lowering
  • Falls on the same level (to the floor, ground, deck, etc.)
  • Repetitive-motion injury (carpal tunnel syndrome, for example)
  • Exposure to harmful substances or environments
  • Falls to a lower level
  • Slips or trips without a fall
  • Transportation incidents (vehicle accidents)
  • Violence and other injuries by persons or animals
  • Fire and explosions

Violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules contribute to many job-related accidents at manufacturing plants. OSHA publishes an annual list of the 10 most frequently cited standards violations encountered in its inspections.

The list includes:

  • Fall protection
  • Hazard communication (training and warning signs)
  • Scaffolding safety
  • Respiratory protection
  • Electrical wiring methods
  • Use of powered industrial trucks
  • Use of ladders
  • Control of hazardous energy (electrical lockout/tagout)
  • Electrical system design
  • Machinery safety

The types of OSHA violations most frequently cited are the kinds of negligence that cause the injuries most often suffered by manufacturing employees.

Compensation in Manufacturing Plant Accidents

Plant owners, managers, foremen and other supervisors are legally obligated to follow OSHA’s rules and regulations for work site, machinery and equipment safety, and for training employees.

Workers who are injured may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits regardless of fault in a workplace accident or illness. In cases where third parties – non-employer subcontractors, onsite vendors, equipment manufacturers and installers, etc. – cause accidents and injury through negligence, an additional legal claim may be an option.

Even another employee who caused an accident and injury, such as because of reckless horseplay, may be held liable to compensate an injured worker through insurance coverage.

If you have suffered a serious injury at a manufacturing plant, factory, mill or similar work site, you may have the right to compensation for your medical expenses and other losses. Joye Law Firm can fully investigate your manufacturing accident to determine all available sources of compensation.

Hurt in a Manufacturing Accident in SC? We Can Help

For more than 40 years, Joye Law Firm’s attorneys of have helped injured workers and their families obtain money for job-related injuries and illnesses in South Carolina.

Call Joye Law Firm now or fill out our online contact form for a free review of your case.

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