Pennsylvania workers maintain a long tradition of pouring blood, sweat and tears into the daily grind. From the mines and steel mills of the past to modern industry, the Keystone State works hard. Some people perform dangerous jobs each day, and when a death occurs on the job, the victim’s surviving family members may be entitled to benefits from workers’ compensation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is now investigating a death that took place at an industrial plant this week. A 49-year-old employee of a recycling company working at Multi-plastics Extrusions was found dead. His body was discovered underneath a heavy dumpster.
The details of the death are still largely unknown. Clearly, something went very wrong, because a person doesn’t just wind up under a dumpster under normal circumstances. As family and friends grieve, investigators are trying to piece the accident together. So far, there don’t seem to be any witnesses to offer a firsthand account of the tragedy.
Employers must make a job site as safe as possible for employees. When an accident at work results in death, surviving dependants of the deceased may feel overwhelmed. Fortunately, workers’ compensation insurance typically entitles the surviving loved ones of the deceased to death benefits. These funds can help cover burial costs, medical bills and other expenses that pile up in the aftermath of a sudden death. In such cases, an experienced attorney can help a grieving Pennsylvania family through the legal process necessary to collect any available damages that may be owed.