Pennsylvania Law & Factory Accidents at Work: Can Employers Be Held Liable?

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What is Pennsylvania law for factory accidents at work? In most cases, an employer can't be held liable, other than for a workers' comp claim. Other parties can be held liable. Delayed investigation can ruin a valid lawsuit.

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By a Philadelphia Work Accident & Injury Lawyer

Work accidents in factories or industrial buildings are not as common as other types of work accidents, such as work related falls or construction falls from heights. However, factory accidents are still pretty common. That’s because factory accidents can involve any number of dangers. In fact, 4 of OSHA’s top 10 most cited standards involve hazards commonly found in factories or industrial buildings:

  • Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), 29 CFR 1910.147,
  • Powered industrial trucks (forklifts), 29 CFR 1910.178,
  • Machinery and machine guarding, 29 CFR 1910.212, and
  • Electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment, 29 CFR 1910.305.

When these types of dangers result in a work accident at a factory, the results are often catastrophic. Workers often sustain crushed limbs and massive internal injuries. Fatalities are also common.

Our Philadelphia work accident lawyers often field questions about legal rights after a factory accident at work. Typically, injured workers want to know whether they have any legal rights against their employers. For example, a factory worker gets his hand caught in a press machine at work which starts up unexpectedly during maintenance. Can he sue the employer for the accident?

Related: Machine & Factory Worker Injuries – Lockout Tagout Regulations and Machine Accidents

Liability for Factory Accidents at Work – 3rd Parties (Non-Employer Parties)

In Pennsylvania, employers are typically immune from being sued for a work related factory or industrial accident. This is because of Pennsylvania’s workers’ comp law. There are some limited exceptions to this rule. However, in most Philadelphia work injury cases, PA’s workers’ compensation law will bar any negligence lawsuits against an employer. But the law only applies to employers. It doesn’t apply to other parties. In factory or industrial work accident cases, other parties can be held liable for negligent conduct that led to the injury, such as:

  • product and equipment manufacturers,
  • product and equipment maintenance contractors, and
  • security companies.

The key in any factory or industrial accident is to get the case reviewed by an experienced work injury lawyer as soon as possible after the accident happens. Doing so helps to preserve valuable evidence which in turn helps preserve the injured worker’s legal rights.

For more info, visit the work injury law library.

Work Injury Lawyers – Work Related Factory Accidents

Our work accident lawyers have helped countless injured workers who’ve been injured in a factory or industrial accident. We’ve recovered over $150 million in work injury cases alone. Contact us for a free consultation at our downtown Philadelphia office. If you can’t come to us, we will come to you. (866) 641-0806

**This website does not provide legal advice. Every case is unique and it is crucial to get a qualified, expert legal opinion prior to making any decisions about your case. See the full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.