Colorado Personal Injury Blog - Workplace Injuries

4 Killed in Chemical Plant Explosion

Staff Writer — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 09:49:47 GMT

On Wednesday, December 19th, four workers were killed during a massive explosion at a chemical plant in Jacksonville, Florida. 14 others were injured as well.

T2 Laboratories Inc. Plant makes chemical solvents and fuel additives. It is still unclear on what actually caused the explosion.

The chemicals at the plant made the environment "incredibly dangerous for the first responders," stated Tom Francis, a fire rescue spokesperson.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has planned on beginning an investigation Thursday morning. Everyone else at the plant was accounted for by Wednesday evening.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Workers' Compensation Overview.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Bowhunter Indicted in Workers Compensation Fraud

Chrissie Cole — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 02:40:48 GMT

While fraudulently collecting over $667,000 in workers compensation and disability payments, David, a former Denver police officer, was also busy building up his reputation as a bowhunter - heading trips to Africa, making instructional videos and writing books.

He is being indicted on nine counts of forgery, one count of making a false statement and two counts of theft. If convicted he faces up to 54 years in prison and a fine up to $2.5 million.

The indictment alleges he lied about his disability for over eighteen years, convincing medical doctors that he suffered from serious physical and psychological problems.

Holt started working as a Denver police officer in 1968. According to the indictment returned Friday in Denver District Court, he claimed to have hurt himself in March 1986 while running a Denver Police Department obstacle course.

Though initial tests were negative, tests six days later revealed Holt may have been suffering from a ruptured blood vessel just outside his brain. He also told doctors he was suffering severe psychological problems, including paranoia, short-term memory loss and an inability to control his emotions, the indictment states.

In 1986, he was approved for temporary disability, receiving weekly payments. The next year, he was granted complete disability. Meanwhile, he was working on his first book, which he claims friends helped him to complete. In the years to come he traveled to promote the book taking trips around the world and more.

Suspicious of his bowhunting activites, in 2004, Denver hired investigators to survey his acitivies. Following the investigation, a psychologist was hired to conduct a formal examination which he was required to attend.

He missed the first two appointments, saying he was too upset to attend. When they did meet, he sat in a corner. He seemed "childlike and fearful," and said he couldn't read or write without help, according to the indictment.
The psychologist diagnosed Holt as "malingering," or faking or exaggerating his illness, and Denver moved to revoke his disability status. Colorado Attorney General took the case to a statewide grand jury last fall.

His bond has been set at $1 million dollars. At this time his attorney is unsure when he will be returning to Colorado.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Workplace Injuries and Discrimination.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Chrissie Cole

Medical Contract Bill Signed into Law

Christina Cole — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 07:44:36 GMT

On Friday, Colorado became the first state to require health insurers to use a standard managed care contract while negotiating with health care providers.

Gov. Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 79, sponsored by Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, which marks a fundamental shift in the state government's involvement in private medical care contracts. Supporters say it will reduce costs by creating clearer contracts and cutting down on administrative hurdles.

Similar legislation generated one of the most heated battles at the Legislature last year, with doctors squaring off against insurers. But there were no fireworks this year, even though the measure includes many of the same provisions.

Insurers and the business community still quietly oppose this year's bill, but a lot has changed in health care and in politics in the last year that makes the Colorado Medical Society (CMS) a more difficult group to battle. Doctors, angered by the consolidation of large health plans in Colorado they say created an "800-pound gorilla," have become more politically active, and their plight has garnered the sympathy of many powerful lawmakers.

Last year, Gov. Bill Owens vetoed the bill, saying it created "an unnecessary intrusion by the government into contracts between private parties." A few days after that veto, gubernatorial candidate Ritter told CMS he would have signed it.

To date, no other state has passed similar legislation and proponents and opponents are in disagreement on the financial impact this bill will have, which is the Colorado Medical Society's top priority.

Senate Bill 79 requires that insurers disclose payment terms in an easy to understand language and to notify doctors of contract changes amongst other things. Additionally, it prohibits insurers from requiring doctors to accept patients with a different type of plan without the consent of doctors.

For instance, CMS said under the current contract, a doctor that agrees to accept HMO or PPO patients can also be forced to accept patients covered by workers compensation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Christina Cole

Hoover Dam bypass clean-up after crane collapse

Staff Writer — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 11:38:41 GMT

On September 15, 2006, high winds caused two 280-foot-tall steel cranes to collapse in a major construction accident at the site of the $234 million Hoover Dam bypass project. This week, a crew of divers is working to clean up the debris from the Colorado River.

A story in Central Utah's Daily Herald details the construction accident that caused $50 million in damages and set back the project's completion date two years. The Hoover Dam Bypass project will build 3.5 miles of four-lane highway and a 1,900-foot bridge over the Colorado River to connect with U.S. 93.

The September crane collapse forced contractors Obayashi Corp. and PSM Construction USA Inc. to find the resources to remove 300,000 pounds of steel cable and debris at the bottom of the Colorado River.

Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result of the construction accident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Gas worker dies in construction accident

Staff Writer — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 14:32:18 GMT

A contract gas worker was blown out of a fijve-foot-deep hole and killed by head injuries from the accident, says a report on ABC 7 News TheDenverChannel.com.

The victim was a man working with Schneider Energy Services, contracted by EnCana Oil and Gas. Apparently the gas line he was working on ruptured and blew him out of the hole, instantly killing him. The federal government's OSHA group is still investigating the incident.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

Third crane collapse since April on I-25

Staff Writer — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:52:46 GMT

Last week in Colorado Springs, a crane collapsed over I-25 for the third time since a fatal accident in April. Fortunately no one was injured in this crane accident that dropped a girder onto the open highway and closed the I-25 for many hours.

This has been the third accident since the $150 million COSMIX construction project began. An April crane collapse killed a worker. Many are wondering why so many accidents are happening, and what needs to happen to bring higher safety levels to the construction site.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer

New Urbanism Projects and Reordered Risks of Trend

Staff Writer — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:15:50 GMT

New Urbanism is, with the new world of lifestyle choices and development opportunities, among the most prominent current concepts in city planning and development. Typically this type of real estate development is the creation of diverse, walkable and compact communities with mixed-use elements including high-rise condominiums.

Along with these development opportunities developers are also discovering construction risk issues that differ from those more familiar to suburban subdivisions. The construction risks associated with New Urbanism differ substantially from what builders may have experienced.

According to Don Neff, President of LaJolla Pacific, Ltd., who works with developers around the west,

"looking at the top risks leading to construction defect litigation, there is a different order of impact compared to single-family dwellings, encompassing water intrusion, acoustical, MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), common wall and occupancy and/or ownership separation issues. These are all much more critical concerns for both residential occupants and retail tenants in a mixed-use project in a New Urbanist context, for example."

Prior to taking on high-rise condominium projects, developers and contractors need to understand the unique risks involved.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Staff Writer