An accident at the Sonoma-Marin Fair resulted in serious personal injuries for a worker the afternoon of June 23, 2010. CBS News reports that the man, who works for the company that runs the fair, stepped in front of a ride that was in operation. His leg was severed below the knee. Cal/OSHA officials are investigating the cause of this horrific accident and who was responsible for it. So far, fair officials have said that the ride was working well and that there seems to have been no operator error. The worker was taken to an area medical center for treatment. An investigation is ongoing.

I sympathize with this injured worker and his family for what they are going through at this point. I wish him the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. Please keep this injured worker and his family in your thoughts and prayers.

What Caused this Injury Accident?

Based on this news report, it is not clear what caused this worker's serious job injuries. Fair officials say they are puzzled because the worker was not operating the ride. They did not know why he was there at the time or what he was doing. So, at this point, there are still several questions in this case. Was there in fact no malfunction in the ride, as fair officials claim? What was the worker doing there? Was there a ride safety violation in this case? I trust officials are looking at these and other issues in order to determine exactly what happened here.

Compensation Issues

Since this worker was on the job at the time, he will be entitled to receive workers compensation benefits. However, where catastrophic injuries are involved and there is a good chance that the worker may not ever be able to return to work, California workers compensation benefits are extremely inadequate. In such cases, a skilled San Francisco personal injury lawyer will be able to analyze the case and determine who could or should be held liable. A skilled workplace injury lawyer will also be able to determine whether you have a third party claim, which is filed against a negligent party that is not an employer.

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None of the parties mentioned in this article are represented by us at the time this article was posted. The source of our information is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm for a consultation. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. The BISNAR | CHASE personal injury law firm will provide free, confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons and their family members if you mention your source was the “Personal Injury Law Journal." They can be reached at 866-456-5235 during California business hours.