A construction accident that took place out of state resulted in the death of one worker and seriously injuries for another. It occurred when a vehicle ran off the road, traveling into the construction site where the workers were, police say. When an accident like this occurs in New Jersey, injured workers — and the surviving families of workers killed on the job — are entitled to file for workers’ compensation benefits.
The fatal accident occurred on a recent Tuesday in February. Sometime around 10:30 a.m., police say that a 26-year-old man’s car suddenly left the roadway, crashing into two construction workers. One was 21, the other 50. Police think that the car carried the younger victim on the car’s hood for at least one block before colliding with a telephone pole.
That accident victim died at the scene. The other worker was taken to a local hospital to be treated for head trauma, as well as a serious leg injury. Police say the driver of the vehicle could have been driving while intoxicated, and he was arrested. Apart from workers compensation claims, third party personal injury and wrongful death claims against the driver may be appropriate.
The workers’ compensation program in the state of New Jersey provides death benefits to injured workers and surviving dependents of a worker killed on the job — for example, spouses, children, parents, or siblings. A central purpose of this benefit is to provide financial relief for the loss of income. In the case of a workplace fatality, this compensation is also often used to help ameliorate the end-of-life expenses that are typically incurred by a decedent’s family, including medical bills and burial costs. It is typical to consult an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to assist with this process.
Source: kxii.com, “Paris construction worker killed, driver arrested“, Raven Ambers, Feb. 9, 2016