A 34-year-old Maryland construction worker died in a construction accident a few weeks ago. An employee of W.F. Wilson & Sons Inc., the man was working at a residential construction site when an excavator hit him in the head. These large machines range in size from several tons to several hundred tons of...
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Arlington Construction Worker Dies after Falling 7 Stories While Installing Balcony Railing
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that falls from heights are responsible for one-third of construction fatalities. Employers could have prevented many of these. Safety precautions that save lives are no mystery. Such things as personal fall arrest systems, guardrails, harnesses, and safety nets make construction work safer. Too often, however, workers...
Read MoreFederal Safety Board Blasts DC Metro for Negligent Safety Attitude and Defective Machinery
The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) recently completed its investigation of the DC Metro accident that killed nine people in June of 2009. The accident occurred just after 5 p.m. during the busy rush hour commute home. A red line Metro train slammed into the back of another one outside of Fort...
Read MoreDC-Based Chemical Safety Board Sent to Pennsylvania to Investigate 2 Deaths in Explosion at Zinc Plant
Representatives from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, a Washington, D.C.-based federal agency, recently visited a zinc plant in Pennsylvania after an explosion killed two workers and injured two more. The two killed were members of the United Steelworkers Local 8183 union and died as a result of suffocation from smoke inhalation. If unsafe...
Read MoreTwo-Year Anniversary of DC Cyclist Death Prompts Bicycling Safety Reminders for Drivers
Bicycling advocates in Washington, D.C. recently marked the two-year anniversary of the death of a 22-year-old woman on R and 20th Streets in downtown DC. The young woman died in a crash that safety advocates call a “right hook”. She was wearing a helmet and bicycling in the bicycle lane with the green light...
Read More11-Year-Old Texas Boy Killed at Dangerous DC Intersection, Neighbors Call for Traffic Light
Dangerous and poorly designed intersections account for approximately one-fourth of traffic deaths each year in the United States. Victims of intersection accidents may be able to obtain compensation from two parties. First, they may have a claim against the government for the unsafe design and inadequate warnings at an intersection. Second, they may have...
Read MoreCyclist Killed in DC After Two Different Cars Hit Him
A string of recent bicyclist/vehicle accidents and deaths in the Washington, D.C. metro area underlines the increasing dangers faced by bicyclists’ sharing roads with vehicles. Nationwide, nearly 1,000 bicyclists die each year in traffic accidents and over 40,000 are injured. Washington, D.C. is one...
Read MoreMaryland Driver Killed on Highway Shoulder
Many states have now passed laws requiring motorists to move over a lane when they see accidents or emergency responders like police officers along the roadside. This is due to increased deaths and serious injuries involving these people. Particularly on highways, drivers have little time to react if someone on the side of the...
Read MoreDriver in Fairfax Kills Cyclist on Bike Path
In 2008, Virginia had 13 fatal bicyclist accidents. Most accidents occur in urban areas where drivers and bicyclists are facing numerous distractions. Only a momentary lapse in attention by either party can have disastrous consequences for bicyclists, who are no match for the size and...
Read MoreMaryland Pedestrian Killed Trying to Cross Busy Highway
Unprotected by seat belts or airbags, pedestrians whom cars hit often suffer severe injuries, ranging from broken bones and bruises to spinal cord or brain injuries, or even death. In addition, unfortunately, children and elderly persons are the ones frequently hit. Children run into roads without looking for oncoming traffic, and...
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