The winter holiday season is a time for food, family and friends. For some regions of the country, including Illinois, it is also a time for snow and ice. Anyone who has ever attempted to remove snow and ice knows of the hassles such an endeavor presents, yet knows of the necessity of completing the task in order to ensure the safety of employees and customers. Some businesses choose to hire someone else to take care of such chores. One woman who worked for a company that specializes in snow removal was recently a victim of a workplace accident.
In late December, a 19-year-old woman was working for Tovar Snow Professionals. Police claim that the woman was found unconscious in the road in the early afternoon. It is believed that she fell off a company truck.
Although the young woman was transported to a nearby hospital, she ultimately passed away from her injuries. As with most accidents that occur as part of an employee’s work responsibilities, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is opening an investigation into the incident to determine if the company violated any health or safety standards which contributed to her death. The woman’s death is also under investigation by the coroner’s office.
It is never a good time to lose a loved one, but the tragedy of such a loss seems to be magnified when it occurs around the holiday season. In addition to their grief, the family of the deceased young woman will likely face an uncertain financial future as a result of her death due to funeral and burial costs, medical expenses and the loss of her future wages. It is likely, however, that the Illinois company is required by the state to provide workers’ compensation coverage for the woman in the event of such an incident. In many cases, death benefits extend to a deceased employee’s family members. Many others who have been entitled to such benefits as a result of a workplace accident have found additional assistance helpful in seeking full and accurate compensation.
Source: The Courier-News, OSHA investigating death of Carpentersville woman, No author, Dec. 26, 2013
