Working around powered industrial trucks on worksites in Missouri and other states is always dangerous. A host of things can go wrong, and serious injuries can be the result. One such an industrial accident recently claimed the life of a worker in a neighboring state.
An investigation by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was launched after the death of a delivery driver on a recent Monday. According to an incident report, the 24-year-old man was delivering a load of water main pipes to an industrial site when the accident happened. A forklift operator was unloading the large pipes while the delivery man was standing next to the truck.
One of the loads on the powered industrial truck was unstable and toppled off the platform. Several pipes struck the man standing next to the truck. He was rushed to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries by noon that day. The cause of his death was determined to be blunt force trauma.
Whenever a Missouri family loses a loved one in an industrial accident, financial assistance can be obtained through the workers’ compensation insurance program. The insurance system offers death benefits for the covered dependents of workers killed in on-the-job accidents. However, if the fatality was caused by a person who is not employed by the same company, a third-party civil claim may also be viable. While workers’ compensation benefits typically include coverage of end-of-life costs and lost income, a personal injury lawsuit may also yield compensation for emotional damages sustained by the family of the deceased worker.
Source: CBS Chicago, “OSHA Investigating Fatal Industrial Accident In Park Forest“, Oct. 5, 2016