Sometimes even the most peaceful and uneventful work environments can be the location of a deadly workplace accident. For example, how often does one think of a city park employee being injured or dying while performing duties?
One such incident occurred recently in Ohio when a 44-year-old parks and recreation employee from the city of Massillon succumbed to his injuries after being involved in a lawn mower accident. The accident occurred when the lawn mower he was operating overturned and injured him. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he fought for his life for two days.
After the accident, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation announced that it would conduct an investigation to determine whether the victim’s employer, the city of Massillon, complied with the standards of workplace safety set by Ohio laws.
As many workers and their families in Columbus would agree, a workplace injury or death can trigger a long chain of financial challenges. In addition to the loss of wages and the difficulty of rejoining the workforce, victims and their families have to spend considerable amounts of money for treatment and rehabilitation, making it imperative for them to obtain worker’s compensation benefits.
Unfortunately, workers’ compensation benefits, despite the clearly laid out rules, are often difficult to obtain. Sometimes, it is due to the lack of sufficient medical evidence; and sometimes, it is due to the lack of proper documentation. In order to avoid those time-consuming pitfalls, a victim or their family may choose to engage the services of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney.