Workplace accident from nitrogen tank explosion injures 5
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Accidents on Wednesday, July 3, 2013.
Explosions at work seem to be happening a lot lately. In a location outside of Illinois, five workers were injured and one of them was in serious condition after a nitrogen tank exploded in a workplace accident. Fire officials said that the victims were using nitrogen to fill a pipe when a piece of equipment fell and caused an explosion.
A fire department official called the incident a ‘workplace accident’. According to that spokesman the equipment that fell was made of glass, and it contained a liquid that turned gaseous. Authorities report that after the equipment fell, it caused the explosion, which sprayed glass shrapnel violently at the workers who were working above ground.
There were also workers below ground, but they were not injured by the blast. The employer at this South Carolina worksite was not identified. The news report doesn’t indicate if official investigations are planned. In Illinois and most jurisdictions, those workers who are injured by accidents on the job are entitled to collect worker’s compensation benefits.
This includes full coverage for medical expenses, including for medications and ongoing treatment or therapy where necessary. Additionally, a specified percentage of average weekly wages are paid to a disabled employee until he’s recovered and released to go back to work for his employer. If an individual becomes permanently and totally disabled, and if it was caused by an accident at work, a settlement for a lump-sum payment by the workers’ compensation insurance company may possibly be negotiated.
In Illinois as elsewhere, a negotiated lump-sum sum payment will end all benefits in the future for that workplace accident claim. A final settlement could also include the payment of all medical expenses to the date of the settlement, including bills that the insurance company was contesting. Companies may be amenable to this kind of a settlement because they can close their books and save on administrative expenses. They save on payments and expenses in the long run by negotiating an amount that is reduced to present worth and is generally less than if they paid every month into the future.
Source: Mt. Pleasant News, “Five injured, one seriously in tank explosion near Patriots Point,” Cameron Easley, June 21, 2013
