The story of a cable man who got hurt while working may be of interest to some readers in Colorado. The on-the-job accident happened when the cable man attempted to scale a fence on a property where he had been hired to work. The man suffered injuries that required an extended period of time for recovery.
In fact, the man at the center of this on-the-job injury received workers’ compensation benefits as a result of the injury. In addition, he required some 10 months of rehab at a medical facility and surgery after the accident. He suffered burns to his hands and a neck injury while trying to escape the area where he had been working.
The man was at the home of a Fox News commentator, Andrew Napolitano, to rewire the cable. As he was set to leave, he noticed that he could not use a gate that had been disabled. He tried to scale a fence to get back to his truck. Unfortunately, the fence was an electric one, intended to keep deer off of the property.
Like workers in Colorado, the injured man sought benefits under his state’s workers’ compensation program for his on-the-job injury. These benefits typically prevent a worker from suing their employer for negligence. Nevertheless, negligence claims against third parties are permissible, even when the employer and co-workers cannot be sued. To ensure that an injured worker is able to understanding their rights under the workers’ compensation laws, help is available to ensure that all applicable benefits and claims are pursued.
Source: nj.com, “Cable guy electrified during work at Fox News commentator’s Sussex County home files suit,” Eunice Lee, April 1, 2013