Having a loved one incapacitated or killed as a result of an employer’s negligence is life-altering. Loss of the loved one and their income can devastate a family. Welding is a technical and demanding job that often occurs in a dangerous setting. Employers routinely cut corners on construction projects, making welding related injuries, ailments, and death a far too common reality. You need to immediately contact an experienced Mississippi personal injury attorney if you or a loved one is injured or killed as a result of their welding career.
Metal Fume Fever
Each year, thousands of welders are injured due to what is called “metal fume fever.” It is also referred to as welding illness or “the brass shakes” and is caused by breathing in toxic welding fumes. It can last a few days or weeks and is caused by the chemicals released during the welding process, specifically by welding galvanized steel, which emits magnesium oxide and zinc oxide. The symptoms vary, but welders who experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, nausea, chills, headaches, or coughs may be experiencing symptoms. A more acute symptom is the pronounced taste of metal in the mouth. As the condition worsens, so do the symptoms, including yellow skin and vomiting.
Metal fume fever is easily prevented with adequate personal protective equipment and ventilation. If you are welding a closed environment with little or no ventilation, you have a right to ask for ventilation and/or respirator equipment to prevent metal fume fever. If you make that sort of request, be sure to document it.
Metal fume fever requires bed rest and hydration to recover from the symptoms, which means you will likely miss work if you succumb to it. That is unfair to you and your family, and if you are missing work due to metal fume fever, you should contact an experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyer to attain compensation to make you whole.
Cancer
Many of the gases and chemicals produced by welding are also carcinogenic. As has been shown numerous times, exposure to carcinogens is a significant factor in causing cancer. This is particularly true of welding stainless steel and working with nickel and chromium. If you are welding with these metals, you need to consult a physician to check for any development of cancer.
Pneumonia
Welding fumes can also result in the welder developing pneumonia. Extreme exposure, coupled with a compromised immune system, can lead to death.
Asthma
Similarly, persistent contact with the gases used in and created by welding can cause asthma. Again, welding stainless steel and arc welding without sufficient protections in place and having contact with chrome oxide have been shown to contribute to respiratory problems such as asthma. If you are having shortness of breath, a dry or scratchy throat, and tightness in the chest you may be feeling the onset of asthma as a result of your exposure to welding gases.
In short, there are a host of concerns anytime you or a loved one is welding. If an injury or death occurs, it was often preventable and only occurred due to the employer’s negligence or corner-cutting. If that is the case, you have the right to be made whole with the help of an experienced personal injury attorney.
What Should You Do if You or a Loved One is Injured?
If you or a loved one has been injured, can no longer work, or is sick due to welding, quickly receiving the compensation you are due will require consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney. Trying to settle the case on your own will lead to frustration and a settlement that is a fraction of what you deserve.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if a loved one has been injured, sickened, or killed.
Barrett Law has the experience to take on insurance companies’ defense counsel. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505, to get experienced counsel on your side.
