This time of year, package handlers and mail carriers are putting in a lot of hours. In the hustle and bustle to meet deadlines and keep holiday packages moving, workers may find themselves in dangerous work environments. Sadly, not all workers are able to escape these hazardous conditions without injury, and some even die on the job.
Tragically, one worker at the FedEx hub in Willington was killed during a workplace accident. According to reports, police responded to the facility to find the victim pinned between two trailers. Although other workers pulled him from the trailers and attempted emergency CPR, he later died at the hospital. OSHA, as well as the State Police, are investigating the accident.
The exact cause of this accident is unknown at this time and may remain unknown until OSHA completes its investigation. Regardless of the accident’s cause, though, the victim’s family may be dealing with the tremendous sense of loss that accompanies the unexpected loss of a loved one. Their emotional harm is likely severe, but the financial losses inflicted upon them may be significant as well.
Medical expenses, funeral costs and lost wages can all take a toll on a surviving family. Those who have lost a loved one in a workplace accident may be able to utilize the workers’ compensation system to recover benefits. If successful in obtaining survivor benefits, these individuals can recoup some of their damages, allowing them to focus on remembering their lost loved one. In the event that these benefits fail to cover the full extent of one’s damages, further legal action may be warranted. To learn more about how workers’ compensation, and additional legal action, may be beneficial, surviving family members of workplace accident victims may want to seek legal counsel.
Source: Fox 61, “Worker killed in accident at FedEx hub in Willington,” Katie Harris, Dec. 7, 2016
