Indiana Injury Lawyer Blog

Four workers were hurt in a Workplace Construction Accident in Goshen, Indiana on Monday. The Indianapolis Work Comp Lawyers learned the employees were apparently injured when an ammonia tank exploded. The four injured employees worked at T&T Fertilizer and Southwest Welding. One of the injured, a 24 year old man, was taken to Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana with an apparent head injury. A captain with the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department says the other three injured men are ages 16, 56 and 61. They were transported to a local Northern Indiana hospital. Workers who are hurt while in the course and scope of employment are entitled to Indiana Worker's Compensation benefits in most cases.

In this case, Indiana investigators say the Workplace Accident happened when employees welding a tank at a fertilizer plant set off an explosion which not only hurt the four workers but also spilled 2,000 gallons of ammonia into the plant. A dike system at T&T Fertilizer reportedly contained the ammonia. And a haz-mat team helped clean up the area.

Work-related injuries happen all too often in Indiana and throughout the country. Fortunately, the workplace in Indiana appears to be getting safer. According to the Indiana Department of Labor, in 2009, the amount of non-deadly occupational injuries and illnesses was 94,800. This is the lowest number of non-fatal injuries and illnesses on record for Indiana. It also shows a drop of 17,300 such injuries and illnesses compared to the previous year.

When Indiana researchers examined the rate of non-deadly occupational injuries and illnesses, they found a downward trend. In 2009, the rate in Indiana was 4.3 per 100 employees. That rate was 12% lower than the rate in 2008 and was the biggest percent drop in a one year time frame on record. While this is encouraging news, Indiana's non-deadly injury and illness rate is still higher than the national total recordable rate of 3.9.

And even one injured worker can effect many people. The experienced Indianapolis Work Comp Attorneys at Kooi Law realize how devastating the effects of a workplace injury can be. Children and other dependents could be counting on that injured worker's salary to provide food, pay the rent or mortgage, and pay the bills. If that injured employee has to miss work because of his or her injury, a huge financial hardship could be placed on the family. However, Indiana Work Comp benefits can help alleviate this situation.