There are certain jobs that place people in danger of being involved in a fatal accident, but these incidents are not limited to so-called “risky” jobs. When there is an accident that results in wrongful death, those who were affected by it should be aware of their right to seek compensation in a legal filing.
The Census of 2016 Fatal Occupational Injuries from the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists 5,190 fatal workplace accidents in the United States in 2016. This was a 7 percent increase from 2015. Breaking it down into blocks of 100,000 full-time workers or its equivalent, that came to a rise from 3.4 in 2015 to 3.6 in 2016. This is the third straight year in which there was a rise in fatal accidents. It is the first time in almost 10 years that there were more than 5,000 fatal workplace accidents. This information comes from the National Safety Council.
Transportation workers should take care while on the job as workers in that industry had the dubious distinction of the highest number of deaths in 2016 coming to approximately one of every four fatal accidents. Exposure to harmful substances or environments rose 22 percent. There was a decrease in fatalities due to explosions or fires by 27 percent. Food preparation and serving occupations had a 64 percent increase in fatal injuries. Those working in installation, repair and maintenance rose by 20 percent. Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance rose by 14 percent. Sales and jobs linked to sales rose by 11 percent.
The highest fatality rate was in the logging industry with nearly 136 fatalities for every 100,000 full-time workers. The next highest rates were for roofers, those in the fishing industry and airline pilots. People in the protective services rose in fatalities by 32 percent. People 55 and older had the highest demographic increase at just below 10 percent.
When there is a fatal workplace accident, the aftereffects can reverberate and affect many different people. First and foremost is the family of the person who died in the fatal accident. Medical expenses, funeral costs, lost income and emotional factors will be some of the issues that come into the equation. A legal filing can help to cover these and other issues. Having assistance from a lawyer experienced in wrongful death is essential.
Source: insurancejournal.com, “Workplace Fatalities Continue to Increase, with Transportation Incidents #1 Cause,” Dec. 27, 2017
