Grocery Employee Nearly Loses Hand to Meat Grinder

 Posted on December 12, 2012 in Personal Injury

An employee of a supermarket near 143rd Street and Wolf Road in Orland Park almost lost a hand in a workplace accident on November 3, according to a recent story in the Chicago Tribune. The employee was processing meat when his hand became stuck in a meat grinder.

The Orland firefighters tried to disassemble the machine in order to take the injured employee to a hospital. However, they quickly found out that the only way they could get to the hospital was with the grinder still attached to the man. The firefighters did what they could to take apart the grinder and disassembled it into the smallest component they could. The employee was taken by ambulance to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox while his arm was still inside the steel grinder.

If the firefighters had removed his hand, the bleeding could have been fatal. In the hospital, the fire crew was able to break the grinder after which the doctors stepped in and stopped the bleeding. The man lost all five fingers of his hand and might lose the hand entirely.

Machinery accidents are not rare, but they happen more commonly with farming equipment or conveyor belts, said Fire Chief Ken Brucki. Although Orland firefighters practice to disassemble many kinds of machines, they had never attempted to take apart a meat grinder before. "It's one of those calls that really challenged our people," Brucki said. "They did a phenomenal job."

If you or a loved one has become injured on the job, you may be entitled for compensation. Consulting with an experienced worker’s compensation attorney can improve your chances for getting compensation. Contact a skilled Hinsdale, Illinois injury attorney today.