It's an unfortunate fact that many jobs that are key parts of today's economy are dangerous ones. While they can provide high-paying jobs to people in our community and serve to boost our economy, they can lead to dangerous situations if conditions on worksites are not up to standards.
Recently in Ohio, a well owned by a company with headquarters in western Pennsylvania was the site of a fatal workplace accident. The worker who died was a subcontractor who was working on an in-progress well. According to reports from the scene, the man was in the process of moving some equipment to a section of the well that was inactive. At some point during this process, a large piece of equipment fell on him, killing him. The well was closed after the work accident; it could be months before any investigations into the matter are completed.
The local office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the accident. The local sheriff's office conducted an investigation of its own and found no criminal wrongdoing. However, the absence of criminal charges doesn't mean that a company that is the site of a fatal workplace accident is completely off the hook. OSHA representatives could issue fines against the company if it is found that workplace safety measures were not properly being upheld.
Whatever the outcome, at least one family will be forever changed because of the accident at the well. Grieving family members who have lost a loved one in an industrial accident may choose to work with an experienced attorney who can offer advice about the possibility of receiving compensation for their loss.
Source: Pittsburgh Business Times, "Worker killed at Rice Energy well site in Ohio," Stephanie Novak, April 8, 2014
"*" indicates required fields
