Work Fatalities
Get started on your path to justice for the work related wrongful death of a loved one in Salem, MA with the lawyers of Mazow | McCullough, PC.
Many of us throughout Massachusetts go to jobs every day to earn money to support our families. Some people work in occupations that pose serious safety risks. Too many people who are simply trying to earn a living are placed in unsafe work environments.
Most Dangerous Jobs
While there’s the potential for injuries and fatalities to occur in any job, some occupational settings are inherently more dangerous and pose more risk than others. These dangerous jobs include but are not limited to:
- Logging
- Roofing
- Fishing
- Aircraft engineers and pilots
- Farmers and agricultural managers
- Steel workers
- Refuse and recyclable material collectors
- Truck drivers
- Taxi drivers
- Construction workers
- Electrical engineers and electrical power line installers
- General maintenance workers
- Law enforcement officers
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Common Work Related Accidents that Can Result in a Fatality
Some types of accidents are more likely to result in a fatality than others, including:
Falls, including falls from roofing or scaffolding
Electrocutions
Struck by object, including being struck by a falling object from a roof or scaffold
Caught in/between, including crush injuries from heavy machinery
Most on-the-job safety risks can be eliminated or greatly reduced if the employer provides proper safety training, proper maintenance of equipment and follows all applicable safety rules, policies, regulations and standards. Most industries have accepted safety standards and many parts of their work operations are regulated by federal and state safety rules and regulations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has created many different safety regulations that employers must follow in their daily work operations. Unfortunately, many employers fail to follow applicable OSHA regulations and fail to provide a safe work environment for their employees. These irresponsible actions can result in the wrongful death of an employee.
Work-related wrongful death can occur in Salem or elsewhere in the United States, and involve specific provisions in the law that outline who can recover survivor’s benefits after losing a loved one in a fatal work accident involving a construction accident, explosion, industrial accident or any other on-the-job accident. These provisions are complex and require an understanding of the intricacies of the laws, statutes and regulations.
What Must Be Proven in a Work Related Wrongful Death Case
In a work related wrongful death case, the plaintiff has the burden of proof and must provide evidence for each of the following elements:
- The plaintiff must be able to present evidence that proves that the defendant owed a duty of care to the deceased. For example, an employer owes a specific duty of care to his or her employees to keep the workplace free from known and preventable hazards.
- The plaintiff must be able to prove that the duty of care owed to the deceased was breached by the defendant. For example, if an employer knew about a hazard and refused to correct it in a timely manner, this would constitute a breach of duty of care.
- Finally, the plaintiff must provide evidence that the actions of the defendant and the breach of the duty of care directly caused the death. If, for example, the defendant knew about hazards in the workplace and failed to correct them, but the deceased passed away from a heart attack that happened at work, the defendant’s negligence would not be considered to have directly caused the death, even though the workplace was dangerous and the defendant was negligent.
Contact the Wrongful Death Lawyers at Mazow | McCullough
At Mazow | McCullough, P.C., we understand how heartbreaking and life changing it is to lose a loved one. We know that learning that someone else may have caused their death and that their passing may have been prevented with just a little more care and attention to hazards in the workplace can leave a family reeling.
Our attorneys are committed to helping each of our clients obtain justice for their lost loved ones. Although money can never bring back your loved one, it can help ease the burden of the many expenses families face after a death, including funeral expenses, lost wages, and more. Legal action can also penalize those whose negligence was responsible for the wrongful death of your loved one and prevent the same thing from happening again to another family.
With the help of one of our experienced Massachusetts and New Hampshire wrongful death lawyers, you will be able to determine whether your situation merits monetary benefits for loss of income, medical bills, funeral expenses, and pain and suffering.
Please contact Mazow | McCullough, PC, today for a free consultation about your case by calling (978) 744-8000 or via e-mail. We are committed to providing you and your family with the compassionate, caring legal support you need after losing a loved one due to the negligence or carelessness of someone in their workplace.
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