Workplace laws require companies to comply with safety regulations intended to keep workers as safe as possible when on the job. Unfortunately, industrial accidents are still a reality in the workplace. In many cases, industrial explosions and fires seriously injure or kill innocent employees. Such injuries can lead to families suffering financially while waiting for a worker to heal, or even permanently suffering in the case of death. This is one reason why civil law allows Missouri and Illinois residents affected by such incidents the chance to seek financial restitution through the filing of wrongful death claims or, in some cases, personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.
A recent industrial accident in Granite City, Illinois claimed the lives of two people and left another person seriously injured. The industrial explosion occurred at a recycling plant called Total Metal Recycling, which recycles a variety of items that include ammunition as well as military devices. According to authorities, a mortar actually exploded near a building on the Total Metal Recycling premises.
Emergency personnel reported to the scene, with explosive experts from Scott Air Force base working with officials from the State of Illinois, the City and County of St. Louis, and the A.T.F. in the accident investigation. No sort of foul play is suspected at this point. Authorities believe that it was simply an industrial accident, although it wasn’t immediately clear how or why the mortar may have exploded.
While the victims were not initially identified, family members of one man who worked at the recycling plant did report they feared their loved one may have been one of the individuals involved. This was due in part to the fact his vehicle was left at the company’s parking lot long after other workers left in the wake of the fatal accident. That loved one was one son of six, and had recently qualified to become a player for a semi-professional football team in Belleville, Illinois.
One of those family members, who apparently used to work for the same company, gave a critical account of the recycling plant’s safety record. The company was reportedly issued citations for safety violations related to lead exposure and respiratory issues in the past. There was not yet any word on whether the company may have faced any citations for other sorts of safety violations.
Industrial accidents can lead to life-altering consequences for workers and their families. In the event of industrial explosions and fires, the damage done by fire and shrapnel can permanently scar or even kill these workers, leaving their families to bear financial burdens in the short-term. This may require the filing of a workers’ compensation claim or, in certain circumstances, a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Those who wish to find out more about their rights under the law after such an industrial accident can call my St. Louis personal injury law firm at 1-888-586-7041. This call is free of charge, as is the initial in-person consultation we can schedule at your earliest convenience to discuss your case. You will owe us nothing until, and only if, we obtain money on your behalf.
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Sources: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/08/25/at-least-2-dead-in-illinois-recycling-plant-explosion/ and http://fox2now.com/2014/08/25/2-killed-following-plant-explosion-granite-city/