A woman who was seriously injured in a workplace incident when her hand became entangled in a printing press has filed two $5 million lawsuits against the makers of the press.

Janet May, an employee of Progress Press of Roanoke, was injured while working with a book-binding machine in October 2006, according to two lawsuits filed this week in Roanoke Circuit Court.

As she lifted books from a conveyer belt, May's left hand became lodged in the press as it continued to operate, according to the suits. Even after the machine was turned off, workers at the plant had to take it apart before May could be freed.

May suffered permanent injuries to her hand, said her attorney, John Fishwick.

In separate lawsuits, Fishwick brought product-liability claims against the manufacturer of the press, Osako & Co. of Japan, and Regional Conveyer Services, a Salem firm that provided a conveyer belt involved in the accident.

According to the lawsuit, the conveyer belt did not have an emergency shutoff switch. An official with Regional Conveyer Services declined to comment on the lawsuit.

-- Laurence Hammack