Employee killed in Massachusetts workplace accident

The dangers that construction workers face may come as a surprise to those who are unfamiliar with the world of construction. Unfortunately, a workplace accident involving a construction site can have serious ramifications. For example, crews in Massachusetts spent hours working to recover a worker involved trench accident.

While many of the details regarding the incident are unclear, it happened just before 8 a.m. one morning in late July. Martins Construction was working on a project involving replacing town sewer lines. An employee working in a trench apparently became trapped when it filled with water.

While there was a visible presence of rescue workers in the area, a spokesperson for the town of Longmeadow described their efforts as a recovery operation. The operation was expected to take several hours as crews worked slowly to prevent the trench from collapsing and injuring rescue workers. Massachusetts State Police were in charge of the operation; however, officials from several other organizations were also on the scene.

There are likely few things more shocking than the unexpected loss of a family member. The feelings this worker’s family must have experienced while the recovery process was ongoing are likely unimaginable. Often a fatal workplace accident can also create an unexpected financial burden on a grieving family due to funeral costs and lost wages. While they likely qualify for death benefits provided by workers’ compensation insurance coverage, the path to fair compensation is often long and confusing. Fortunately, an experienced professional can help them seek fair compensation.

Source: masslive.com, “‘Recovery operation’ ongoing at scene of construction accident on Hazardville Road in Longmeadow“, George Graham, July 31, 2015