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The Chicago drill press injury attorneys of Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers assist injured workers with their worker’s compensation claims and look for other avenues through which they can secure additional damages when their benefits are not nearly enough to cover the long term impact of their injuries. One of the ways we can seek damages beyond a worker’s compensation claim is to evaluate whether the equipment being used at the time contributed to the employee’s injuries through defect or design flaw. If so, the manufacturer can be held accountable and be required to provide the compensation the victim needs to move forward with his or her life.
How Drill Presses Work and Why They Can be Dangerous
A drill press is designed to drill holes in objects, mostly for the purpose of woodworking. While it is possible to drill holes using hand held devices, a drill press is used when accuracy and speed are important, such as during mass production. These tools can also be equipped with extensions and tools that will allow workers to use them for other purposes such as sanding and grinding, which offers added versatility and usefulness.
It is important that these tools come equipped with adequate safety guards and shutoff switches to protect workers. In addition to having a hand or arm get caught in the path of moving parts, articles of clothing can also get caught, which may pull the victim’s hand or arm into the machine and cause severe injury. The ways workers can protect themselves include the following.
- Making sure not to wear loose or long clothing that can become caught in the machine.
- Keeping long hair tied back so that it does not pose the risk of being caught in the machine. There have been numerous accidents caused by the sudden entanglement of the victim’s hair, which were made worse when the equipment lacked a proper shutoff mechanism to turn the machine off at the first indication of trouble.
- Refraining from using gloves while operating the drill press. Like clothing and hair, a glove can become caught in the device and pull the victim’s hand into the press, causing serious injury.
- Securing the material by clamping it down before using the drill press. Failure to do so can cause the material to spin or be propelled at the worker or bystanders.
Drill Press Defects Can Increase Injury Severity
Among the drill press defects we’ve seen are faulty safety guards and poorly designed shutoff switches. It is important that workers are able to shut the machine off quickly in the event of an injury and some presses have been found to have shutoff switches that do not work properly or are located in areas that aren’t accessed easily. The failure of the safety guard to protect the worker’s hands is another common design flaw and can easily result in the loss of fingers and hands.
The failure to provide workers with adequate warnings about the dangers and risks associated with a product can also be considered negligent. Many manufacturers do not provide adequate warnings or detailed information that can help workers avoid an accident or stop the machine quickly when an injury occurs.
Let Our Drill Press Injury Lawyers Review Your Case for Free
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is committed to helping injured workers recover fair compensation for their injuries. When a worker’s compensation claim is not sufficient to cover your medical bills and lost wages, we can explore other avenues of recovering damages so that you are able to continue providing for your family and meeting your obligations. All too often, we find that defective machinery is linked to workplace injuries, and the law allows you to seek damages from the manufacturer when this is the case.
Contact us today to arrange a free consultation with one of our award winning Chicago drill press injury attorneys so that we can evaluate your claim and review your legal options. If we are unable to secure compensation on your behalf for any reason at all, you are assured our services will be free of charge.
