The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the leading cause of workplace fatalities is falls. Company owners across the country, including those in Colorado, must provide employees who work at heights of six feet or more with appropriate fall protection. A family in a neighboring state who lost a loved one in a workplace accident earlier this month will likely find comfort in knowing that death benefits may be pursued to provide financial assistance at this difficult time.
According to initial accident reports, the 62-year-old worker had only been working for the construction company for one month when he lost his life. He was apparently busy installing a platform 38-feet above ground level when he fell. He suffered fatal blunt force trauma injuries upon impact with the ground below.
The cause of the fall is yet to be determined, and there is also no mention of the possible malfunction of a safety harness or whether the worker was provided with proper fall protection. OSHA investigators will likely focus on the construction company’s compliance with federal safety regulations. Disregarding employee safety is inexcusable.
When a loved one is killed in a workplace accident in Colorado, the immediate surviving family members may file a death benefits claim with the state’s workers’ compensation insurance system. Some families are overwhelmed by such a tragedy and choose to utilize the services of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to pursue the claim on behalf of the dependents. Along with compensation to cover a funeral and burial, a financial package to replace lost wages may be awarded.
Source: knopnews2.com, “OSHA investigates deadly Sutherland construction accident“, Adam Uhernik, March 14, 2016
