Most people take for granted that every new workday will unfold just like the last. Most of the time, a workday is rife with routine and often interpreted as mundane. Unfortunately, tragedy can befall even the most mundane of circumstances. Colleagues are still in mourning, after an Aurora, Illinois, man was killed in a workplace accident just over two weeks ago.
The 35-year-old man was an employee for landscaping company, located in Mokena. The man had been moving some equipment using a forklift when the vehicle turned over, and landed on top of him with a crushing blow.
Emergency units, including fire and rescue operators, as well as police were dispatched to the scene. The man was immediately taken to Silver Cross Hospital where he later succumbed to his multiple injuries, and was pronounced dead later that morning.
Aurora, Illinois, police officials have turned the case over to authorities for the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA representatives are expected to investigate the workplace accident and determine where fault, if any, may lie. If any fault is determined on the part of the man’s employer, they could be subject to monetary reprimand.
Despite the outcome of the OSHA investigation, it is entirely possible that the family of the deceased worker will seek workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation death benefits are often provided to family members who lose their primary breadwinner as a result of a workplace accident. Because filing a claim for workers compensation benefits can be labor intensive, many families choose to enlist the services of a qualified legal advocate to assist in the proceedings.
Source: The Southtown Star, “Accident kills worker in Mokena,” Susan Demar Lafferty, July 14, 2011
