In Ohio and elsewhere, when an employee suffers injury or illness within the due course and scope of employment in the workplace, he or she is typically entitled to claim benefits that will pay for medical treatment and replace lost wages related to the incident. Depending upon the circumstances, a claim for benefits can be a somewhat basic and straightforward process or a more complicated situation where further analysis of the details and events leading up to an accident or illness might be needed. A recent work-related accident that took place in a neighboring state at a refinery project site ended in tragedy and has required an investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
An industrial complex that is undergoing a construction conversion was the site of an accident that took the life of a 50-year-old worker on a recent Tuesday. A 1,200-foot pylon reportedly tumbled over and on top of the man, crushing him to death. The worker was said to be a contractor who was employed by an engineering firm that was hired for the $2.5 billion project. The construction workers were in the process of converting a refinery to a processing and natural gas storage plant.
A spokesman for the engineering firm publicly expressed the company’s sorrow in the loss of one of its workmen and asked that the privacy of the man’s family be respected in their time of great sorrow. An OSHA investigation remains ongoing in the aftermath of the tragic event. No other injuries have been reported in relation to the accident.
Typically, when a worker is killed in a work-related accident, compensation benefits would be available to immediate family members who survive the deceased. In Ohio and most states, compensation programs usually provide death benefits to a spouse, parent, child or sibling if they are listed as a financial dependent of the decedent. When those who have suffered the untimely loss of a loved one in an on-the-job accident are left with questions concerning the benefits claims process or whether the circumstances of a loved one’s death include grounds for civil litigation, it would be reasonable to proceed by seeking further information and professional advice.
Source: equipmentworld.com, “Worker crushed and killed on refinery conversion project in Pennsylvania“, Wayne Grayson, April 1, 2015
