1 Massachusetts man killed, 1 injured in workplace accident

Repairing a broken water line can be a fairly common duty for someone who works for the Department of Public Works. Although it is not an easy job, it is not one that is typically considered to be life-threatening or excessively dangerous. Sadly, for two Massachusetts men who were recently victims of a workplace accident, it was both.

One man was killed and another man was injured in the early evening accident. The two were part of a crew of city employees that was fixing a break in one of the city’s water lines. During the repair, a piece of heavy equipment moved forward, which caused part of it to strike the two men.

One man died from the injuries he suffered in the accident. Another man was taken to a Massachusetts hospital for treatment. He was listed in stable condition at the time of this report.

Officials are investigating the accident to determine what caused the equipment to surge forward. They are looking into what, if anything, could have been done to prevent it from happening. They say the job was “routine” and called it a “freak accident,” that something so deadly had taken place.

The man who died in this workplace accident was 48 years old. He was married and had a young daughter. While his family attempts to come to terms with their loss, they may elect to pursue a workers’ compensation claim for survivor’s death benefits. If successful, the compensation they receive could go a long way in helping them cover the cost of a funeral and lost income as a result of the death of their loved one.

Source: boston.com, Long-time Natick town DPW employee killed in freak accident; co-worker injured, John R. Ellement, Feb. 5, 2014