Workers’ compensation for Maryland workers injured on the job

Industrial work can be dangerous. The exposure to toxic elements and potentially deadly equipment can leave workers open to a workplace injury. Maryland residents who are employed in the industrial or construction field have workers’ compensation insurance benefits available to them should they be injured while on the job. If the injury result in a fatality, the victim’s family is typically entitled to survivors’ benefits under the same state-regulated insurance system.

Firefighters and local police were called to the scene of a family owned meat packing company around 3:35 p.m. on Thursday, June 22. Two employees became unresponsive while working in a sewer pit, and had to be retrieved by firefighters. The men were cousins.

The 40-year-old male worker was pronounced dead at the scene. The other worker was airlifted to a local hospital and remains in critical condition. An autopsy, performed by the county coroner, reported the cause of death to be asphyxia due to drowning. Findings indicate high levels of inhaled hydrogen sulfide gas, which can lead to toxic levels and is believed to be the cause of death. Local authorities and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration continue to investigate.

Being injured while on the job can wreak havoc on a family and their finances. Not being able to perform the duties that bring in an income can leave a worker and his or her family in a financial tight spot. When a loved one has been hurt or fatally wounded while on the job, the workers’ compensation program provides benefits to the employee or, in the case of death, benefits to the surviving spouse and minor children. Maryland residents may seek the aid of an attorney experienced in workers’ compensation to pursue all available options for financial relief.

Source: wane.com, “1 dead, 1 hurt in workplace accident at family business”, June 21, 2017