A Missouri firefighter who was injured in a vehicle collision while responding to an accident call has filed suit against a Sheriff's Deputy who died in the incident.  Attorneys for volunteer firefighter Joshua C. Douglas filed the lawsuit on Friday, alleging that Deputy Gary McCormack and the Greene County Sheriff's Office are liable for his medical injuries.

Douglas and McCormack both received the same radio report of an accident on the morning of October 6, 2007.  As the two men were traveling to the scene of the reported accident, their vehicles collided.  McCormack was killed upon impact.  According to the lawsuit, Douglas suffered a broken shoulder and broken ribs.

The lawsuit alleges that McCormack was driving at excessive speeds and failed to slow down or yield to Douglas' vehicle.  In addition, the suit alleges that the Sheriff's Office was negligent for not providing McCormack with proper training and supervision.

McCormack's family previously filed a lawsuit of its own, alleging that Douglas was responsible for the accident.  They claim Douglas did not obey a stop sign at the intersection of the crash.

As this case shows, on the job accidents are all too common.  No matter your occupation, a work site of any kind contains many hidden dangers.  If you or someone you know has been injured while on the job and needs assistance with a workers' compensation claim, contact the Pennsylvania workers' compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 610-667-7511 for more information about our services.

A Wyoming state law which would have expanded workers' compensation rights for oil and gas industry workers was defeated in the State House of Representatives on Wednesday.  The proposal, titled the "Duty Owed to Employees" bill, would have made oil and gas companies liable for worksite injuries sustained by independtly contracted employees.

Under current state law, contractor employees do not have the same legally protected status as other employees.  Contractor employees are routinely utilized on oil and gas jobsites for various service tasks.

According to Rep. Keith Gingery, it is nearly impossible for contactor workers to sue oil companies in the event of an injury.  He believes the bill was defeated as a direct result of lobbying by the state's oil and gas industries.  According to Gingery, the independent contractor designation is used by oil and gas companies to avoid legal liability.

Gingery said he remains concerned about worker safety in the absence of such a bill.  As of now, it appears that any similar bill would not have sufficient support among state lawmakers for passage.

If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, it is important
to understand the details of Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws.  
Contact the Pennsylvania workers' compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 610-667-7511 for more information about our legal services.

A Minnesota government official is drawing criticism for seeking several changes to the state's workers' compensation laws.  Among these changes is an incentive for injured workers who agree not to use an attorney in the course of their claim.  In addition, Labor and Industry Commissioner Steve Sviggum is recommending that the state cut workers' comp coverage for illegal immigrants.

Sviggum's workers' comp recommendations immediately drew opposition from several groups, including immigrant, labor and faith organizations.  AFFIRM, the Alliance for Fair Federal Immigration Reform of Minnesota, wrote that the changes would be bad public policy.  They added that employers may be encouraged to hire more illegal immigrants if the changes were enacted, because they would have less legal liability should a workplace injury occur.

The suggestion to incentivize not hiring an attorney has drawn criticism as well.  Experts say it is important to make employees aware of their legal representation right, should their workers' comp claim need to be disputed.

If you or someone you know has been injured on the job, it is important to understand the details of Pennsylvania workers' compensation laws.   Contact the Pennsylvania workers' compensation lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. today at 610-667-7511 for more information about our legal services.