Pursuing Justice For The Injured And Disabled Since 1992

Workplace accident at industrial site claims operator’s life

Families of people who work on industrial sites in Georgia are likely aware of the potential dangers their loved ones are exposed to whenever they are at work. A call nobody wants to receive is the one informing them that a loved one has been involved in a fatal workplace accident. Although there may be many questions that spring to mind after such an accident, the first one may likely be: “What happens now?”

The family of a 23-year-old man in another state likely received that dreaded call after the young man was recently killed while working on an industrial site. He was reportedly operating heavy equipment, and when the machine failed to start, he got off and tried to repair the malfunction. While he was busy, another worker who was also operating a piece of motorized equipment backed up. He failed to see the man who was trying to repair the fault, and crashed into him.

The worker was squashed between the machines and suffered fatal injuries. He was declared dead a short while later. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the incident. Employers are responsible for providing a safe working environment by complying with OSHA safety regulations. Failure to do this may result in heavy fines and citations to the owner.

Families who have lost a loved one in a fatal workplace accident may be entitled to receive death benefits under Georgia workers’ compensation law. These benefits typically include recovery of funeral and burial costs, partial payment of wages and survivor benefits for legal dependents. If the process seems overwhelming or intimidating following a tragic accident, help is available to guide the individual through the entire process during this difficult time.

Source: Pilot Online, “Man killed in industrial accident in Va. Beach”, Margaret Matray, May 7, 2014

Archives