Welding Injury Attorney in Boston

If you or a loved one has suffered a welding injury, the welding injury attorneys at Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers in Boston are ready to help. Our attorneys will make sure you receive the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to and will investigate your case to ensure that all negligent parties are held accountable.

A welding injury can leave you out of work and with a permanent disability. Our attorneys understand the severity of these types of work injuries and the disruption they cause. We have years of experience obtaining financial compensation for our clients and can help you with your welding injury case.

Contact our law firm today so that we can perform a comprehensive evaluation of your claim and advise as to the steps you should take for your welding injury. All consultations are free and confidential. There are no out-of-pocket costs until we win your case.

Time is of the essence in work accident cases, so it’s best to seek legal help as soon as possible. Any delays can negatively affect an accident investigation and your financial recovery.

If you’ve suffered a welding injury while working for a construction firm or another type of company, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Under Massachusetts workers’ compensation laws, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance may be responsible for coverage of your medical treatment and payment of your lost wages.

Information about workers’ compensation in Massachusetts is available on the state’s website. You can also contact our compensation attorneys at (617) 777-7777.

Workers are entitled to these benefits regardless of whether they’re at fault for their work accident and injury.

While you cannot sue your employer for your work injuries, there may be other parties responsible that you can file a claim against. Our work injury attorneys can review your case and help you file a claim against all responsible parties. Contractors may be liable for failing to maintain a safe work site or for performing work in a dangerous manner that placed you at risk.

If your welding injury was caused by malfunctioning equipment or protective gear like a defective welding rod or helmet, you might be able to pursue a product liability claim against the product manufacturer. The equipment could have a defective design, contain inadequate instructions or warnings, or may have been manufactured improperly. All parties involved in the chain of sale for the equipment, including wholesalers and retailers, can be held liable.

After evaluating your case, our work accident attorneys will identify all parties that could be liable for your welding injury and work to build a case establishing their negligence.

In some rare situations, you may be entitled to punitive damages. You would need to show that your welding injury was caused by another party’s reckless or intentional conduct. Punitive damages are meant to punish a defendant and deter repeat misconduct.

Welding is a process that joins materials together by using high heat to melt and fuse the parts. In addition to welding, welders perform brazing and cutting work. Brazing is another metal-joining process. Two or more metal items are joined together through a process that involves flowing a filler metal into a joint. Cutting involves separating or slicing a piece of metal using intense heat.

Welding injuries can occur when a welder is working on a construction project or working in other industries such as oil and gas, mining, and shipbuilding.

Welders face numerous on-the-job hazards related to the equipment they use and the work they perform with extremely hot metals. Welding is a dangerous profession full of many risks.

Electric shock is one of the most common dangers that welders face. Electric shock can lead to serious injury or even death. Injury can be caused by the electrical shock itself or from a fall caused by how a worker reacts to the shock.

The most common type of electric shock that welders face is secondary voltage shock from an arc welding circuit. This type of shock falls in the range of 20 to 100 volts. For context, a shock of 50 volts or even less is enough to kill a person.

Primary voltage shock is a more serious type of electric shock and can result in a shock of more than 400 volts. Welders can protect themselves from shock by wearing gloves and inspecting equipment for damage before performing any work.

Other welding dangers include:

• Dangerous noise levels
• Fires and explosions
• Hot metals
• Exposure to fumes and gases

The welding process produces smoke that contains dangerous metal fume and gas byproducts that can cause serious injury when inhaled.

Welding fume contains metals such as arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, and lead.

Welding fume also contains gases such as carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide.

Different types of welding produce different amounts of welding fume and emit different gases. A welder’s exposure to welding fumes is impacted by the types of metal used, the welding rod’s composition, whether the welding is being performed outside or in an enclosed space, airflow, and the use of ventilation controls.

Welders exposed to welding fumes and gases often experience dizziness, nausea, eye, nose, and throat irritation. Workers who experience these symptoms should leave the work area, get fresh air, and seek medical attention.

Prolonged exposure to welding fumes can cause lung damage and certain cancers, including lung, liver, and urinary tract cancer.

Under certain conditions, welding gases can lead to suffocation, especially when a welder is working in a small or confined space. Confined spaces include tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, vaults, pits, manholes, tunnels, ductwork, and pipelines.

Welding injuries run the gamut from minor injuries to serious ones with life-long health implications.

Common welding injuries include:

• Electrical shock and electrocution
• Asphyxiation
• Burns
• Lacerations
• Toxic fume exposure
• Stomach ulcers
• Kidney damage
• Nervous system damage
• Brain damage
• Lung disease, including pulmonary fibrosis
• Infrared radiation exposure
• Hearing loss and deafness
• Eye damage, including vision loss and blindness
• Cancer
• Metal fume fever
• Welder’s Parkinson’s disease, also known as manganism

Second- or third-degree burns are not only extremely painful but can become infected and lead to permanent scarring.

Welding gives off radiant energy or light radiation, which can damage a worker’s eyes. For protection from radiant energy, welders should wear protective equipment. Examples include safety goggles, glasses, helmets, and face shields with a shade number that provides the appropriate protection level. This applies to the worker performing the welding and all other personnel observing the welding work.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a Fact Sheet on Eye Protection against Radiant Energy during Welding and Cutting in Shipyard Employment.

Metal fume fever is a flu-like syndrome that usually occurs several hours after a welder is exposed to various metal oxides. This syndrome is most commonly caused by zinc but can be caused by copper and cadmium. While welders typically recover from exposure to zinc fume in a few days, exposure to other metal fumes like cadmium can result in serious injury or death.

Welders can develop symptoms of Parkinson’s disease from prolonged exposure to manganese in welding fume. These symptoms include stiff arms and legs, speech difficulties, and reduced facial expression. Welders performing a type of welding known as flux core arc welding in confined spaces have been found to be most at risk.

Welders are also at risk of injuries caused by a fall from heights and slip-and-fall injuries. These types of accidents often result in musculoskeletal injuries and broken bones.

To prevent welding injuries in the workplace, workers should have received proper training. When working, welders should wear appropriate personal protective equipment or PPE, such as fume hoods and gloves. Welders must also ensure their welding rods and other tools and equipment are in good working condition. Welding rods should be inspected before use, and leak tests should be performed.

Employers must provide workers with information and training on hazardous materials in the workplace. They are also required to provide required PPE to workers performing welding, brazing, or cutting work.

To reduce exposure to welding fume, workers can:

• Clean welding surfaces so they are free from paint and other coatings
• Position themselves appropriately to avoid breathing welding fume and gases
• Take advantage of natural drafts to keep fume and gases away
• Use ventilation systems
• Substitute lower fume-generating materials when possible
• Refrain from welding in confined spaces without ventilation

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers a Fact Sheet on Controlling Hazardous Fume and Gases during Welding.

OSHA also offers information on other safety issues that affect welders, including working in confined spaces, fire safety, occupational noise exposure, and PPE.

To learn more about how our work accident attorneys can help you with your welding injury claim, contact Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers today at (617) 777-7777 or using our online form.