When a worker dies on the job here in New Jersey, it is imperative that authorities determine the cause. Not only is this important to ensure the safety of other workers, but it may provide a grieving family with answers as they mourn the loss of their loved one. Officials will hopefully be able to do this after a recent construction worker accident out of state that proved fatal for one worker.
Authorities, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, are still investigating the incident to determine exactly what happened. What is known is that it happened on a recent evening at a construction site. Workers were building a road for access to a cell tower. Police report that someone was ejected from a bulldozer, and that the victim died as a result. It is not known exactly why this happened and authorities have not released the victim’s identity.
OSHA’s investigation will attempt to determine whether the company the victim was working for contributed to the accident in any way. This could happen if OSHA finds the company did not properly train the employee, failed to provide necessary safety equipment, or did not ensure that the worksite was safe. If OSHA cites the company with any safety violations, it could result in the company paying a significant fine.
The victim’s family may not only be emotionally devastated by this horrible incident, but they may now have financial worries after likely losing a source of income. The family may have the option of collecting workers’ compensation benefits, which could help to offset costs they may incur. Anyone here in New Jersey with this concern after losing a loved one to a construction worker accident deserves to know their available options. An experienced attorney can help explain their choices.