Family of deceased Maryland man could seek workers’ compensation

There is some degree of risk in everything that people do. Even the most seemingly innocuous of activities could have underlying risks, especially when those activities deal with an occupation. Because of this there are organizations in place to attempt to protect employees from work hazards and hold employers accountable when preventable accidents happen due to work conditions. To further assist injured workers or the family members of deceased workers, most states require employers to provide employees with workers’ compensation coverage. The family of a Maryland man will likely need this coverage after an accident at work took his life.

The 43-year-old man was working as a delivery man in late September. He was attempting to load a heavy piece of computer equipment onto a truck’s lift when the accident occurred. As he attempted to load it, something went wrong.

Police reports indicate that the man slipped and fell underneath the lift. The equipment then fell on top of him, crushing him. He died at the scene. The incident will likely be investigated for the state’s division of the Occupation Safety and Health Administration.

While OSHA will determine if the man’s employer should be held accountable for any safety violations by fines and if any changes need to be made to protect other workers, his dependents are likely coping with grief over his death as well as stress over their financial future. In most cases, however, states such as Maryland allow surviving dependent family members to receive workers’ compensation death benefits on behalf of their deceased relative. The path to receiving such compensation is sometimes long and complicated, prompting some individuals to seek the assistance of knowledgeable professionals in order to ensure they receive all of the benefits to which they are entitled in an efficient manner.

Source: abc27.com, Delivery man crushed, killed by package, No author, Sept. 30, 2013