What was likely expected to be an average work day turned tragic for an Ohio man earlier this month when he was involved in a fatal work accident. The 52-year-old was in the process of unloading materials at a power-line installation site, when the incident occurred. A co-worker, who was behind the wheel of a truck, ran over him. He did not see him and backed the vehicle up. The injured man did not survive long enough to be taken to a hospital and died at the scene.
No one expects to receive news that a loved one has been killed in the course of his or her job. Nonetheless, as this incident illustrates, such incidents do occur. Sometimes fatal accidents are the result of negligence of another person. When this is the case it is possible that family members of the person who died could decide to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties. When a case is successful, whether it is the result of a trial or settlement agreement, those who filed the lawsuit will recover financial compensation for the death.
These types of lawsuits are usually difficult for those the deceased person left behind as a dollar amount is placed on the value of the life that was lost. Few people would say there is any amount of money that makes up for such an incident. In the end of the process however, monetary damages often make it easier for the family of the person who died to get by without that individual.
Source: The Columbus Dispatch, “Worker runs over, kills co-worker at Madison County site,” Holly Zachariah, Jan. 14, 2014