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The law guarantees every American worker the right to work in a
safe and healthy environment. Tragically, that promise is far from
a reality. Workers and their families turn to Raynes McCarty nearly
every day after accidents that occur in almost every work setting,
including construction sites, steel mills, oil refineries, chemical
processing plants, and distribution facilities.
Raynes McCarty attorneys are committed to fighting for the financial security that affected families require. We also make great efforts to ensure that more workers aren't hurt in the same way. Many Raynes McCarty cases result in safer work practices, redesigned products, and revamped training. One of our attorneys has received the Karen Silkwood award from the Philadelphia Area Project of Occupational Safety and Health (PhilaPOSH) for his tireless efforts to promote workplace safety.
Our lawyers are frequently selected to teach and write about how
to investigate and proceed with representing victims of unsafe workplaces.
Click here to read
an ATLA Trial article by Martin K. Brigham.
Examples of some injured workers we've helped include:
- $11,100,000 Confidential Recovery for Burn Survivor A
pipe fitter, working at a co-generation plant outside of Philadelphia,
was badly burned when a bin of molten ash exploded, enveloping
his body. Suit was filed by attorney Gerald A. McHugh, Jr. against
a consortium of major, multinational corporations. Extensive reconstruction
of the accident demonstrated flaws in the design and fabrication
of the bin and its control system, resulting in a confidential
settlement of $11.1 million for the burn survivor.
- $10,340,000 Recovery in Addition to Prior Confidential Settlement
Lucent Technology's electricians certified to a crew of outside
contractors that it was safe to enter a "de-energized" piece of
electrical equipment. The assurance was false, the equipment had
12,470 volts flowing through it, and one of the contractor employees
suffered severe electrical burns. Martin K. Brigham was lead trial
counsel in the Allentown lawsuit against Lucent and the equipment
manufacturer. The non-confidential portion of the settlement exceeded
$10,340,000. The case was also "Spotlight"ed in ATLA's Law
Reporter. Click here
to read more about the case.
- Confidential Recovery for Worker Burned Because "Flame Retardant"
Uniform Failed Working at a lead smelter, Tom was splattered
with molten metal that had spilled from a crucible. The
metal landed on his work uniform, which was supposed to be flame
retardant. The uniform failed, and instead of self extinguishing,
provided the fuel to transform, what would have been limited superficial
burns, to burns over more than 70% of Tom' s body. Martin
K. Brigham led the team of lawyers in the lawsuit against the
uniform supplier. Mr. Brigham established that the uniform
company had used the wrong type of fabric. By reenacting the accident
with the proper fabric, he was able to establish that Tom' s injuries
were directly related to the uniform' s failure. Mr. Brigham
was able to secure a settlement for Tom that was described at
the time as being the largest pre-trial settlement for a burn
survivor in Pennsylvania' s federal courts.
- $8,000,000 Settlement for Electrical Contractor A sophisticated
industrial property owner in Philadelphia designed the electrical
wiring for its facility. When an outside contractor attempted
to refit the wiring, he was severely burned in an electrical arc
explosion. Arthur Raynes and Roy DeCaro were able to secure an
$8 million settlement for the burn survivor.
- $7,200,000 Settlement in Forklift Accident Jim worked
in a steel distribution warehouse, operating a specially designed
forklift that was supposed to be guided down the narrow aisle
by rails. Late one evening, co-workers heard Jim's scream. Running
to his aid, they found his head pinned between the side of the
forklift and the end of a shelf support. Unfortunately, Jim's
brain damage was permanent. Thorough investigation revealed both
that the forklift repair company had put the operator controls
in backwards and that the warehouse designer had improperly spaced
the guide rails. Using a videotape settlement brochure to demonstrate
how the case would be presented at trial, Marty Brigham led the
legal team that achieved a $7.2 million settlement for Jim. Click
here to read more about the case.
- $4,500,000 Settlement for Electrician in Compressor Explosion
While Mike was troubleshooting a commercial air conditioning unit,
the compressor—made in 1954—overheated. The lubricating
oil pressurized and exploded out through an electrical terminal,
where a spark ignited the oil as it sprayed onto Mike. Even though
Mike's employer had thrown out the compressor after the accident,
Martin K. Brigham, lead trial counsel, was able to use photographs
to identify the manufacturer, which led to the discovery that
this style of compressor had caused many similar accidents. Mike's
case settled for $4.5 million. Click
here to read more about the case.
- $4,500,000 for Hand Burned in Press Marty worked a press
that made DVDs; one morning his dominant hand became caught in
the press at the point of operation, burning off his fingers and
thumb. David Binder and Stephen Raynes prosecuted his claims against
the manufacturer and distributor for failing to have a proper
guard in place; they achieved a $4.5 million settlement.
- $3,100,000 Verdict for Acid Burn As John moved a large
piece of equipment across the factory floor, it fell, smashing
into a six gallon glass bottle of sulfuric acid that a co-worker
had left sitting out. John slipped into the spreading puddle of
acid, burning his shoulder, upper arm and neck. Since the chemical
manufacturer knew that the acid bottle was to be used in a factory,
Martin K. Brigham, lead trial counsel, argued that the bottle
should have been encased in a heavy plastic wrap. Videotaped testing
of a wrapped bottle withstanding heavy impacts convinced the jury
to award $3.1 million to John and his wife. Click
here to read more about the case.
- $3,000,000 Verdict for Hand Injury Margaret, 52 years
old, ran a "blow mold machine" which fabricates plastic milk bottles.
The machine had an emergency stop switch, but unfortunately it
was not properly shielded. When Margaret accidentally hit the
switch, it activated a part of the machine that crushed and burned
two fingers. She lost half of her middle finger and half of her
index finger on her non-dominant left hand. Roy DeCaro convinced
a federal court jury to award Margaret $3 million. Click
here to read more about the case.
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