Each year, thousands of workers are injured, some fatally, as a result of machine and equipment accidents. Recently an 18-year-old worker died after he was crushed by the hydraulics system of a private recycling truck in Brooklyn, according to the New York Post. His family said he had worked at the recycling plant only about three weeks before the accident.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was investigating the accident to determine if any safety regulations were violated.

Anyone who regularly works around power tools, machinery and equipment knows how dangerous they can be. Injuries involving machines and equipment are often the preventable result of someone’s negligence.

Forms of Negligence

Negligence can take the form of a defective part that causes machinery or equipment to malfunction and injure workers. The defect can be the result of problems in the machine or equipment’s design, manufacturing or maintenance.

The failure to follow proper safety procedures or use proper safety equipment is also a frequent cause of machinery and equipment accidents.

OSHA has specific safety procedures and rules that cover the care, maintenance and operation of all types of workplace machinery and equipment. An employer who fails to follow OSHA rules is putting everyone in the vicinity at risk of serious, even fatal, injuries.

If you have been injured as a result of a New York machinery or equipment accident, you could be entitled to third-party compensation instead of or in addition to workers’ compensation. Because a number of companies often work at a construction site, someone other than your own employer may be held accountable.

The New York/New Jersey construction accident attorneys at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., concentrate on representing people who have been seriously injured at work. Call 888-446-2783 or fill out our online contact form for your free consultation.