WORKERS’ COMPENSATION: MAN KILLED AT WORK

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating a recent fatal workplace accident in Illinois. If the employer involved in this fatality was violating any OSHA regulations then it will be cited and fined. Those results might not mean all that much to the victim’s family members, but temporary death benefits through the workers’ compensation system could.

The accident involved a 37-year-old man who was working for an engineering company. Although originally hired in 2011, he was later laid off from his position in 2016, and then rehired in 2017. This apparently had nothing to do with his work ethic or skills, but was instead related to the cyclical nature of this type of business.

In March 2020, he was at a construction work site when he was hit and seriously injured by a part from a machine. First responders arrived on the scene soon after and transported him to an area hospital. Unfortunately, he later died there. OSHA’s investigation is looking into whether there were any safety violations that contributed to the accident, although the local director said it could take as long as six months to wrap things up.

Losing a loved one is rarely — if ever — easy. Things can get even more difficult when there are complicating factors, like the unexpected loss of a primary earner. Some Illinois families cannot even focus on grieving because they are struggling to survive financially. Although it certainly cannot replace the life of a loved one, death benefits from the workers’ compensation system can provide temporary financial support to help families through these difficult times.