Experienced Workers’ Compensation Attorney

California workplace accidents: Man sustains fatal crush injury

A fatality accident has occurred at a California warehouse. Workplace accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and can result in difficulties for the families involved and for the employer, especially if there is a safety failure or hazard present at the time of the incident. The 56-year-old man worked at the warehouse and was hit by a trailer backing into the warehouse.

As the trailer was driving into the dock, the victim made a gesture to inform the driver he was in the wrong bay. However, the trailer crashed into the worker as he was leaning out. Reports state the man sustained a crush injury to his head. The trailer managed to catch the man’s head between the vehicle and the dock.

The man died at the scene of the accident. Normally Cal/OSHA will step in to investigate workplace accidents when there is a fatality, and this accident is no exception. After the death, the company shut down operations and sent their workers home. However, Cal/OSHA did not stop the company from operating or force them to shut down. There have been no prior incidents at the warehouse for several years.

When California employees are involved in workplace accidents, workers’ compensation may come into play. Injuries sustained on the job are often covered by the benefit, but when a worker is killed, families may also be eligible to make a claim. Doing so could help them as they accustom themselves to not only the death of a loved one, but the financial hole that may result from the loss of a major income.

Source: Union City Patch, “Update: Union City Man Crushed By Backing Big Rig,” Jan. 8, 2013

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