Officials from the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division are looking into a recent accident that happened near Portland in Sandy. According to a report, the accident ended the life of one man and injured several others. Now, the survivors of the deceased worker and the injured may seek to make claims under our state’s workers’ compensation program.
Oregon’s workers’ compensation insurance program is intended to assist those who have suffered injury or even death while on the job. The money paid to injured workers and their survivors can be important to those trying make ends meet when they are unable to work. In addition, some medical costs are covered by the insurance program.
In the most recent case, the men were working on building a storage and shop building for a residential customer. For reasons that are unclear, a wooden truss that was being used tipped over as the men worked. The tipping caused the truss to hit several others, all of which fell on the accident victims.
Being injured in a work related accident such as this one could mean many months of recovery for workers. During this time, if the injured do not apply for workers’ compensation benefits, they can find that they suffer not only physically but also financially. However, by using the important insurance program, people can find that they are able to recover and in some cases, even return to their jobs. In the case of the survivors of the deceased who died as a result of a workplace accident, workers’ compensation can assist in the financial losses suffered when the wages of the now-deceased victim disappear.
Source: oregonlive.com, 1 worker killed, 3 injured in apparent construction accident near Sandy, Michael Bamesberger, Sept. 2, 2013