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One man died, another injured in water-tower workplace accident

On Behalf of | Dec 17, 2012 | Firm News

Many people have jobs that might be considered fairly dangerous or involve some level of risk of injury. Although people sometimes have dangerous jobs, employers have a responsibility to make sure a person is safe and provided with all necessary equipment to reduce the likelihood of an accident as much as possible.

Unfortunately, accidents still do occur. One accident involving two water tower workers in Pennsylvania resulted in one death and one injury last week. The man that died fell from the water tower, and the other man was caught by a harness, but dangled from the tower for three hours before he could be rescued. Workplace accidents can almost always be prevented.

When a person is injured or killed on the job, there will likely be an extensive investigation by government agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to determine the cause and ensure all workplace safety procedures were followed. Even if an employer wasn’t found to have violated any safety policies, an injured employee or their family might still be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.

These benefits are meant to help an employee and their family pay for hospital expenses that might have been incurred as a result of the accident and any lost wages. While hospital bills and future medical expenses can be costly, not being able to earn a wage can be even more devastating to a family’s financial situation. It might be wise to speak with an experienced attorney after any Pennsylvania workplace accident.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Water-tower mishap victims identified,” Aubrey Whelan and Carolyn Davis, Dec. 7, 2012

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