No job is free from the possibility of causing injury to a worker. Due to the risk of being injured on the job, Pennsylvania employers are required to carry workers’ compensation coverage for employees. This state-regulated insurance provides financial assistance to an injured worker, or survivors’ benefits should the worker suffer a fatal accident while working.
Two Pennsylvania sanitation workers were recently victims of a garbage truck accident. They were heading down a hill on the out-of-control vehicle when the incident occurred. Though the road curves at the bottom of the hill, the garbage truck continued straight. It crashed through some trees and went down an embankment, coming to rest on its side.
The 60-year-old truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene around 11:45 a.m. The passenger was thrown from the vehicle and critically injured. The 53-year-old was transported to a local trauma center for treatment. The accident is still under investigation.
For the families of the workers, the aftermath of such a tragic accident can be traumatic and stressful. The injured worker may not be able to work for weeks, or longer, while he struggles to recover from his injuries. The deceased worker will no longer be able to provide a paycheck for his family, who now face the unexpected expenses of final services for their loved one. A workers’ compensation attorney can help victims, or surviving family members of deceased victims, pursue claims for applicable benefits and determine whether grounds exist for third party claims in a Pennsylvania civil court.
Source: readingeagle.com, “Police investigating fatal garbage truck accident in Robesonia“, Steven Henshaw, May 17, 2018