Pennsylvania residents might be interested to hear that a 61-year-old worker on the new St. Paul Saints construction site was killed after a piece of concrete fell onto the cab of the backhoe that he was operating. The man was an employee of Rachel Contracting, which has not been issued any citations during the several Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspections that have occurred within the past five years. The worker was working on demolishing the former Diamond Products Building, located on Fifth and Broadway streets, to ready the area for the new ballpark.
The accident occurred around 8 a.m. on Sept. 10. The heavy equipment operators were working on tearing down the building when a piece of the structure fell down on top of the worker. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene of the construction site accident. According to the spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, OSHA is going to investigate what caused the accident to determine whether any of their standards were violated.
Regardless of whether any OSHA standards were violated, the family of the deceased worker could decide to file a workers' compensation claim against the man's employer. These claims may serve as a form of life insurance to employees who opt into it. It can offer surviving family members compensation for their loved ones' death. However, in exchange for this restitution, family members waive their rights to sue the company for negligence or wrongful death.
A workers' compensation lawyer might be able to assist the family members in preparing their claim if they decide to file for workers' compensation benefits. A lawyer might also be able to help them negotiate a settlement with the employing company.
Source: Finance and Commerce, "Worker killed at Saints ballpark site; OSHA to investigate", Brian Johnson, September 10, 2013
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