Police say that a 50-year-old female employee was discovered dead on a construction site. Preliminary reports indicate that other workers were hammering steel beams into the ground using a crane. Unfortunately, a beam is believed to have slipped from its clamp, causing it to fall.
The beam reportedly struck the back of the woman's head. The accident is currently under investigation by the New York State Police as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. If OSHA determines that workplace standards were violated leading to the accident, the company could face citations as well as fines.
While OSHA standards can provide some protections to employees in the workforce, they are unable to remove all risk of a workplace accident. As a result, Massachusetts requires employers to provide workers' compensation insurance benefits to employees in the event of an accident. These events can help provide for medical bills and the loss of wages. In the case of a fatality, benefits typically extend to dependent family members in addition to covering funeral expenses. In order to ensure fair and efficient compensation, many people seek to guidance of an experienced attorney to guide them through the compensation process.
Source: stargazette.com, "UPDATED: Construction worker dies in Hammondsport accident", Dave Bohrer, June 2, 2015
