Saying goodbye to a loved one who leaves for work, never to see him or her again, is an indescribable tragedy. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence — especially for families who have loved ones working in the construction industry. Fatal construction workers’ accidents leave far too many Ohio families without a breadwinner.
Reportedly, such a tragedy occurred on a construction site of a residential building where a 34-year-old man from Columbus lost his life in an on-the-job accident on a Thursday at the end of March. The county sheriff said the incident occurred shortly after noon. A work crew was working on placing steel beams across the top of the completed basement. To achieve this, they used a crane to lift the beams and put them in position.
Reportedly, workers thought the I-beam — weighing about 1 ton — was securely in place when it unexpectedly dropped onto one of the workers. The impact caused the man’s instant death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. Workers were interviewed to get a better idea of the exact circumstances that led to the man’s death.
When fatal construction workers’ accidents occur, death benefits offered by the workers’ compensation insurance system of Ohio could provide assistance that may ease the financial burden of surviving family members. Benefits typically cover end-of-life expenses and wage-replacement packages to help with daily living costs. The surviving family members may utilize the support and guidance of an experienced workers’ comp attorney to help them navigate the claims process. If the gathered evidence suggests a third party may have been responsible for the accident, or that the employer was grossly negligent in a manner that caused or contributed to the death, grounds may exists for a separate claim for damages through the state’s civil justice system.
Source: dispatch.com, “Worker killed at Delaware County home construction site“, Dean Narciso, March 31, 2017