In some places of employment, employees receive training on the workplace hazards they may encounter as they complete their job responsibilities. In some cases, unfortunately, an employee is unable to avoid a workplace accident regardless of the precautions he or she may have taken. As a result, states such as Illinois require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage for workers for financial protection in the case of such an accident. The family members of one out-of-state worker may qualify for these benefits after he was killed in a fatal accident.
Rescue workers were called to the scene at approximately 10:30 a.m. one day in late December. Some initial reports indicate that the man was welding a piece of equipment when an explosion occurred. Some speculate that the explosion was caused by a build-up of gases in the equipment.
The 51-year-old man was airlifted for treatment of the burns he suffered in the accident. Unfortunately, he died later that day. The explosion remains under investigation by both the local fire department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
While it is important that the cause of the explosion is determined in order to prevent other employees from suffering a similar fate, the investigation may provide little solace to the deceased man’s grieving family members. While it may be unable to alleviate their grief, workers’ compensation benefits generally extend to the worker’s family members in the event of a fatality. In an attempt to ensure they receive all of the compensation to which they may be entitled, many victims of a workplace accident in Illinois have sought guidance while navigating the sometimes complicated path to payment.
Source: elkharttruth.com, “Explosion at Green Stream Company in Elkhart burns, kills employee”, Emily Pfund, Jan. 2, 2015
