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Safety Lapses Caused Los Angeles Workers
August 10, 2007

Investigations have revealed that serious safety lapses by a contractor contributed to the February deaths of two Los Angeles workers. Three civil citations have been filed against the painting contractor Alan Silverstein, Inc. including one that says the contractor neglected to sufficiently vent the crawlspace where the two workers were trapped in the fiery blaze that caused their deaths. Other charges accuse the contractor of neglecting to test the air in the cramped space beneath the 3600 square foot Los Angeles home, a few blocks southeast of University of California, Los Angeles.

Juan Rivera and Conrado Sanchez-Cruz were applying primer to wood beams, and the resulting vapors created an inflammable atmosphere in the already tiny space. It is now believed that the fire might have erupted when the vapors ignited a lamp used to light the area. Although firefighters tried to rescue the trapped men, all attempts were in vain, and Rivera and Sanchez- Cruz perished in the blaze. A couple of other workers received burn injuries. Officials say the blaze could have been prevented if the contractor had used fans or pumps to ventilate the area.

Because the deaths occurred in a workplace setting, the victims' families aren't eligible to file a civil lawsuit. They can only seek compensation under the Worker's Compensation Act, but the amount they can expect is minimal. The case against Alan Silverstein Inc. will now be referred to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office where the charges will be probed to determine if the contractor's unsafe practices were responsible for the deadly inferno.

The decision to refer the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office is a commendable one. However, it is appropriate to remember that every year close to 100 American workers die during accidents or as a result of injuries sustained in their place of work. Many of these are caused because employers deliberately ignore safety precautions, either to cut costs or speed up production. Employers are rarely prosecuted, and this only leads them to repeat their negligent ways. According to the New York Times, between 1982 and 2002, officials at the Organization of Safety and Health Administration investigated 1242 of such wrongful death cases, but sought prosecution in barely 7 percent of these cases!

If your loved ones have been a victim of wrongful death caused by unsafe practices in the workplace, the personal injury attorneys at The Reeves Law Group will help you take the next step towards justice.

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