Recently, a utility worker died in a possible wrongful death situation because of a fatal work accident. The Illinois man died after suffering from electrocution on a job site in East Peoria. The man died while fulfilling his work duties repairing a utility pole, possibly leaving his family eligible for wrongful death compensation along with workers’ compensation.
The young Illinois man was a father of four children and was only thirty-five years old at the time of his death. According to the report, he had fifteen years of experience doing his job. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will investigate this case, there is no indication at this time of how the accident happened. It is also not clear if work conditions contributed to his death.
Dangerous work conditions may contribute to potentially fatal accidents. In this particular case, electrocution occurred, which means that the man was dealing with live wires. It is also possible that lack of training or unclear instructions can contribute to work accidents of all kinds. The OSHA investigation should reveal more details into what happened in this tragic work accident.
If the investigation reveals that the accident could have been prevented or that his normal work duties placed him in danger, the family could consider a wrongful death suit against his employer. Any wrongful death suit or workers’ compensation case should be substantiated with evidence and documentation. A settlement could assist the family as they handle the unexpected costs associated with a sudden death. If the family wishes to explore this possibility, a thorough examination of the case and gathering evidence from the OSHA investigation would be a beneficial place to begin.
Source: centralillinoisproud.com, East Peoria Man Victim of Apparent Electrocution, No author, Feb. 26, 2014