The law firm of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., represented the family of Beverlyn Wingard in a wrongful death lawsuit filed in Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Alabama. Ms. Wingard was killed in January 2008 while working for Albany International in Montgomery, when she was crushed by machinery she was operating at the textile plant. Montgomery County Circuit Judge Charles Price found on behalf of the Plaintiffs and awarded $5,250,000 in damages.

The Herald.net, an online publication serving Everett, Washington, reported recently that the Tesoro Petroleum Company faces a record fine for violations of state safety rules. The judgment by the state Department of Labor & Industries comes after an explosion at the company's petroleum refinery that killed seven workers. According the the L&I, the explosion and tragic loss could have been prevented if Tesoro had followed required safety procedures.

Global manufacturing firm Whitesell Corp. has evoked harsh words from the U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis for a multitude of safety and health violations discovered by federal investigators in the company's two northwest Alabama facilities. According to Solis, the violations created dangerous conditions for Whitesell's employees, one of whom had his hand severed by a hydraulic forging press earlier this year.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Rexnord Industries LLC with $130,500 in proposed penalties for violations of federal workplace safety standards after a mechanical power press began to operate unexpectedly, severing the arm of a female employee. Many times when investigators look into a personal injury claim, they find a defective product is to blame. This is especially true in the case of workers injured on the job. What might initially appear to be a worker's compensation claim might turn out to be a case involving a dangerous product or piece of equipment, about which employers should have been aware.

Investigators from the Tampa offices of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) arrived at Sea World Orlando yesterday to investigate the death of whale trainer Dawn Brancheau, who was attacked by the largest orca (or killer whale) in captivity during a live performance.

Workplace accidents happen around the clock, every day, all year long, and every company has its own way of dealing with injured workers. The process of seeking compensation for medical bills, lost work, and other hardships through insurance claims or legal venues can be a frustrating challenge that sometimes makes employees feel as if they're being punished for their injury.