Workers’ compensation benefits provide resources for those impacted by workplace accidents. A 54-year-old man was recently killed in a workplace accident on the front range. The fatal workplace accident occurred when the victim was struck in the chest by a piece of wood thrown from a machine. The man worked for a company that manufactured custom doors. He was taken to a local hospital following the workplace accident where he was pronounced dead.
The fatal workplace accident is being investigated by both local authorities and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. A fatal workplace accident can, of course, occur unexpectedly and can turn the lives of surviving family members upside down. Surviving family members may be left without a source of income, funeral expenses and the emotional devastation of losing a loved one.
Workers’ compensation benefits in Colorado provide important protections for surviving family members of victims of a fatal workplace accident including death benefits. It is also important to note that for workplace accidents that do not result in the death of a worker, protections for medical expenses and lost wages may be available to help. What is also important to keep in mind when impacted by a workplace accident is that Colorado workers’ compensation protections serve as an important resource for both victims of workplace accidents and family members of victims of fatal workplace accidents.
When a worker has been harmed, or killed, in the workplace there may be many concerns in the immediate aftermath of the workplace accident and victims and their families need to have those concerns addressed. Workers’ compensation benefits provide important options and protections to address those concerns directly and help victims and their families as much as possible.