Accident that killed public works employee investigated

On Behalf of | Oct 16, 2013 | Government Workers' Compensation

Assuring public safety takes in a lot of territory. There are the police and firefighters who face the threat of being injured or killed in response to the various crises that may occur on any given day.

Often overlooked, though, are those workers whose duties may seem more mundane, but which are no less essential. These are the government workers who maintain our public buildings, our roads, our parks and deal with animal control. In some towns, they may also handle sanitation removal duties. 

They may not face violence or flames, but they face their own risks of being injured and killed on the job. When workplace accidents do happen to them the events usually don’t make the news, but the negative effects are just as devastating in terms of the physical disability suffered, medical costs incurred or the wages lost. Workers’ compensation insurance is there for them, and while obtaining full benefits shouldn’t require a battle, sometimes that is what it takes. An attorney can help.

This is brought to mind because of a story about the death of a sanitation worker in Eastchester, New York. According to the reports, the 42-year-old man was one of two individuals working on the back of a sanitation truck when the vehicle backed into a utility pole, crushing the victim. He was rushed to a hospital and right into surgery, but doctors were unable to save him.

Now, his loss is being mourned and he is being remembered for his general kindness and good nature. One of the victim’s neighbors says he feels particularly sorry for the wife and daughter who lost a loved one so young.

Authorities continue to investigate the accident.

Source: Lohud.com, “Eastchester DPW worker, crushed by garbage truck, dies,” James O’Rourke and Will David, Oct. 8, 2013

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