A 57-year-old man was killed in a logging accident in upstate New York. According to a news report in The Wall Street Journal, the man was cutting trees that had been damaged by last summer’s tropical storm Irene. The trees had been damaged because of flooding. The man was working with his 21-year-old son when the tree landed on the older man, pinning him down. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the logging industry employs about 90,000 people a year. About 50 workers are killed each year in the United States. Logging has a fatality rate that is about 16 times higher than for the average American worker.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), safety standards in the logging industry have improved over the last 30 years, but there are still many safety concerns in the industry. OSHA spells out specific standards for the industry to help prevent accidents. Employers are required to properly train their employees and provide them with necessary safety equipment such as goggles, gloves and hard hats. All employees are required to be trained in first-aid procedures. Employers are also required to survey the work area every day to ensure there are no on-site hazards that could cause injuries. Accidents related to the logging industry include falling trees, malfunctions with chainsaws and equipment defects.
Injuries that occur in the logging industry often tend to be very serious. Broken bones, cuts, bruises, head trauma or back injuries can be the result of such a workplace accident. In many cases, these accidents can be fatal. Families who have lost a loved one in a workplace accident may be able to seek workers compensation benefits. Those who have been injured in a workplace accident may be able to seek compensation for damages including, but not limited to, hospitalization costs, medical bills, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
If you or a loved one has been injured in New York workplace accident, the experienced personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can offer you more information about pursuing your legal rights. Please call our offices 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
www.work4youlaw.com
Source: Wall Street Journal