A 46-year-old man was killed in a construction accident after a backhoe fell on him. According to a news article in the Pioneer Press, the fatal incident occurred at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Officials say the victim was working on a drainage ditch when the backhoe tipped over on him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner determined that the worker died because of compression asphyxia. The man worked for a construction company that was contracted to dredge the pond. The investigation into this incident is ongoing.
Accidents Involving Objects or Equipment
The U.S. Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that there was a total of 4,551 fatalities in the workplace in 2010. Of those fatalities, 741 were caused by contact with objects or equipment. OSHA’s web site states that being struck by objects is a leading cause of construction-related deaths. About 75 percent of struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment such as trucks or cranes.
Causes and Compensation Issues
When a worker is killed in a construction accident, it is crucial to determine precisely what led to the incident. There are several questions that must be asked. What caused the accident to occur? Was the worker properly trained? Was he or she being supervised? Was the equipment malfunctioning? Was the incident the result of a defective product?
In such cases, families of deceased workers can seek workers’ compensation benefits from the employer. In addition, they may be able to file a third-party claim. Such claims are filed against parties other than employers such as general contractors, sub-contractors, property owners, manufacturers of defective products, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. Our law firm recovered $3,375,576 for a construction worker who was injured on the job – one of the highest construction case settlements in New York in 2010. Please contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Source: Pioneer Press
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