Punch Press Malfunctions Accidents in The Workplace

Punch presses are industrial machines with extremely high risks of causing injuries when they are not properly handled. They are used by iron-workers and construction workers for hole punching, slotting, and more. The strength of these machines ranges from about ten tons to 50,0000 tons. 

They are also extremely complicated in the way they work. Therefore, they need to be operated by employees with specialised expertise in their mechanism of operation. Also, safety protocols and proper machine guards need to be in place.

Unfortunately, employers do not always comply with these protocols, the result being injuries of employees. Whilst employers may be held liable for accidents in their companies, manufacturers also share some liability. If a punch press has defective parts, severe injuries may be unavoidable or even death.

If you or your loved one has suffered injuries or loss of life from punch press malfunction accidents, you should hire a punch press malfunction accident lawyer immediately. Our personal injury lawyers at Oshan and Associates stand ready to fight for you and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

Common causes of punch press malfunctions accidents

The causes of punch press malfunction accidents are varied. They include:

• Machines are operated by inadequately trained operators. To safely and effectively operate these machines, operators are required to thoroughly understand how the machine works. This includes adequate knowledge of the workings of the foot pedals, hand pedals, electronic switches, buttons, and much more. Asking an inadequately trained employee to operate the machine puts him or her at risk of injuries like bodily injuries, severe lacerations, and strangulation if they have long hair, loose clothing, or jewelry. 
• Operating punch presses without using the proper machine guard. Many gruesome injuries have arisen from this practice and even loss of life.
• Defective punch presses. Defects in punch presses arise from manufacturing errors. It could either be a design defect or the use of a defective part. Sometimes, with a defective punch press, the manufacturers are not the only ones culpable. Employers, together with manufacturers share culpability. This is because while a punch press has defects, some employers insist on using the machine as is, defect notwithstanding.

Making a liability claim for punch press malfunctions accidents

The majority of punch press malfunction accidents happen as a result of another party’s negligence. Therefore, if you or your loved one suffered from injuries or loss of life as a result of a punch press malfunction accident, you may be entitled to some compensation. You can get compensation in any of three ways:

• You can get compensated through your employer’s worker’s compensation insurance plan. Your employer is expected to have a worker’s compensation insurance plan in the event of a workplace accident happening. Under this insurance, your medical bills should be covered as well as wages you lost due to your inability to work as a result of your injuries. Also, you get compensated even if there was no party to hold liable for the accident. As long as the accident happened while you were on the job, you are entitled to this compensation.
• You can get compensated through a personal injury lawsuit. Seeing as your injuries were as a result of the negligence of another party, you can claim compensation through a personal injury liability lawsuit. 
• You can get compensated through a third-party claim. A third-party claim is used when the liable party does not work directly for your employer. This is usually the case when the at-fault party is the manufacturer.

Whichever of the methods you choose, you should hire a punch press malfunction accident lawyer to help you. Your lawyer will file the claim on your behalf and get you the compensation you deserve. The compensation will cover your medical bills, wages lost due to your inability to work and compensate you for the pain and suffering you endured.

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