Industrial Accidents in Hampton Roads

Working at a shipyard or on a building site can be extremely hazardous. I was saddened to read at the end of last month how a Colonna’s Shipyard worker died in an accident involving an excavator.

WAVY.com reported how 58-year-old Donald R. Thomas of Chesapeake died in the accident at the Norfolk shipyard.

Workers at shipyards, on road construction sites or those who operate any heavy machinery, face a wide array of dangers ranging from electrocution to being crushed by heavy objects.

WAVY reported on how Chopper 10 flew above the accident scene and captured video of what appeared to be a concrete piling that had crashed through the cab of an excavator. Several other pilings were sighted on the ground nearby. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) confirmed Thomas was operating the excavator before concrete crushed the vehicle’s cab.

Norfolk Police Department Officer Daniel Hudson said there were no signs of foul play. That’s not to say a mistake or an unsafe working environment was not to blame. Many industrial accidents are caused by a lack of oversight or by negligence. The families of workers who are killed, may have grounds to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against an employer or a contractor. They are eligible to claim workers’ compensation, even if an employer was not to blame.

With its shipyards, railroads and many construction sites, Hampton Roads sees its fair share of industrial accidents. Last year a 23-year-old from Newport News died when he was crushed between two pieces of heavy equipment on May 3, 2014. He was working on a construction site in the 2500 block of Quality Court in Virginia Beach, police said.

At times defective equipment can cause an industrial accident. Big workplace industrial accidents often involve a component of not just workers’ compensation but the law of product liability. You often have heavy equipment that can sever a leg or poorly manufactured equipment that can cause an electric shock.

These products liability cases are some of the most serious cases we work on as Norfolk personal injury lawyers. These big workplace industrial accidents can cause terrible injuries. You may be able to sue the manufacturer of equipment for serious injuries or the loss of a loved one.

If you have been injured in an industrial accident in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake or elsewhere in Hampton Roads or Virginia, call Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers at 757.455.007