To the casual observer, some occupations, such as that of a recycling truck worker, seem more exhausting and grueling than actually dangerous. However, these jobs can involve complicated and heavy machinery that should not be taken lightly. Sanitation accidents can be very serious, and even deadly.
Recently, an 18-year-old recycling truck worker was killed when he got caught by the hydraulic door of the vehicle’s compactor. He was working at the back of the vehicle during a drop off at a recycling plant. Witnesses stated that he was crushed as the hydraulic door closed. He was taken to a local hospital, where he died. The cause of the accident is still being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
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Generally, most workers are covered by worker’s compensation for injuries that occur at work or during work-related activities. Laws vary by state as to what types of injuries can be covered. Worker’s comp is designed to make sure that injured employees can get compensation without having to go through a full lawsuit against the employer. Worker’s compensation thus is often the exclusive remedy, meaning that workers forfeit the ability to sue for their claims in court.
Worker’s compensation benefits often include compensation for medical care due to the injury, replacement income and compensation for permanent injuries. Additionally, worker’s comp can be in the form of benefits to the surviving family members of a worker who has been killed in a workplace accident.
These types of benefits cannot bring back or replace a loved one who has died in a workplace accident. However, the compensation can serve to alleviate some of the financial stress that is associated with such a tragic accident.
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Source: NYdailynews.com, “Recycling truck crushes worker in compactor in Brooklyn,” Peter Moskowitz and Thomas Tracy, March 17, 2013
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